By, MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto-Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III, Shehu of Borno, Aku Uka, Emirs, chiefs, ministers, technocrats and cream of businessmen on Saturday converged on Azare, headquarters of Katagum Local Government Area in Bauchi State to witness the coronation and staff of office presentation to the emir, Dr. Umar Faruk 11
Presenting the staff of office to the emir in Azare, headquarters of Katagum Local Government Area on Saturday, the governor said that as the 12th emir of Katagum, he is to roll with the winds of change and intellectually contribute towards the socioeconomic and political development of people in his emirate and Nigerians generally
Governor Bala Mohammed noted with delight that the duties of an emir are to ensure the well-beings of his subjects and encourage even distribution of development projects in an atmosphere of peace and stability.
These, the governor observed, are no doubt challenging tasks that can overstretched the physical and mental capabilities of any emir, and expressed confidence that the new emir of Katagum would bring his wealth of experience and knowledge to surmount the challenges of his new office.
He also noted that though the traditional have not been given specific functions by the Nigerian Constitution, the roles the Katagum emir is playing in the socioeconomic and political development of his people and the nation must be acknowledged.
The Governor therefore called on all traditional ruler in the state to emulate the Katagum emir, and to continue to ensure peace, unity and development in their respective jurisdictions, and to continue to maintain law and order in their domains.
He told the emir, “I cherish and adore your commitment which often brought you out of your royal comfort to ensure that your subjects sleep in peace and safety. Our traditional rulers should reactivate the traditional security system whereby strangers or suspicious movements are reported to them for investigation”.
“The people should be sensitized to cooperate and provide useful information to the security agencies in covert and overt actions capable of disrupting peaceful co-existence. Traditional rulers at all level would be held responsible for any breach of peace in their jurisdictions”.
Senator Bala Mohammed stressed the need for traditional rulers to enlighten and educate their people on government policies and programmes so that the people would appreciate and support the efforts being made by the government towards improvement and upliftment of their well-beings.
He specifically spoke of the need for the people to be mobilized to support the programmes like increased food production, internal revenue generation, and enrolment and retention of children in schools, but does not mean the traditional rulers should engage in partisan politics.
“Traditional rulers should under no circumstance involve in partisan politics. They should maintain their integrity as fathers and custodians of culture and traditions of their people because every political party is their own and none belong to them”.
He added, “The involvement of traditional rulers in partisan politics under any guise is not only an aberration, but desecration of the traditional institution and would not be taken lightly by anybody”.
Governor Bala said that the gathering to celebrate a transition of one emir to another underscore people believe in the sanctity of the traditional institution, recalling that the 37 years’ reign of the late emir, Dr. Mohammed Kabir Umar exhibited an exemplary leadership which earned him the respect, love and veneration of his subjects.
The Katagum Emir, Dr. Umar Faruk 11 has earlier said that to say the date is a special day for him is understatement, and paid a glowing tribute to the champion of the emirate, Mallam Zaki and its great founder Mallam Muhammadu Dan-Kawuwa.
He then expressed his appreciation and the people of Katagum emirate to Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed for making the day a reality, and prayed for God the Almighty reward him abundantly, and thanked his predecessor Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar who accepted the recommendation of Katagum kingmakers to approved his appointment as the 12th Emir of Katagum.
Dr. Umar Faruk 11 said that, “Katagum emirate being strategically located at the boarder of the Caliphate with the Kanem Borno Empire people with whom we have been enjoying cordial relationship since the exchange of scholarly letters during Sir Ahmadu Bello with the Shehu of Borno, Umar Ibn Elkanemi.
He also expressed gratitude to the emirs and traditional rulers who graced the staff of office presentation, and commended the Bauchi State Council of Emirs under the leadership of the emir of Bauchi, Dr. Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu for their esteemed presence and support since his appointment on 13th December, 2017.
He told the governor, “I was appointed the 12th emir of Katagum on 13th December, 2017. Soon after that we set up our development agenda high lightening our priorities which include security and well-being of our people, institutions, health, job creation, and most important the 100 percent support to your Government”.
While pledging his total loyalty and the emirate to the state government, the new emir also recalled that 2023 is the centenary anniversary of the first primary school established in the emirate which milestone, he said, would afford the emirate a wonderful opportunity to renew their commitment to address the menace of out of school children.
Dr. Umar Faruk 11 assured the people of Katagum of his resolve to always stands by them with all sense of humility, stressing “I would not let you down. I would continue to listen to the poor man and protect his interest, and do justice to all manner of people”
