By, MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi has warned that his government is ready to ruthlessly deal with any Local Government Council chairman or state government official that connive with bandits to short-change the state or perpetuate criminal activity for personal selfish ends
Senator Bala observed that the way and manner in which some bandits come and take positions in some parts of the state forestry is an attestation that such bandits must have been given the right of way by some unscrupulous officials at the Local Government level.
He enumerated some of the local government forests where bandits have dens to promote their criminal activities such as kidnapping and killing people to include Toro, Dass, Alkaleri, Ningi, Tafawa Balewa and Ganjuwa.
Describing the situation as worrisome, taking cognizance that majority of the people dwells in rural areas, the governor noted that having insecurity at the grassroots means more problems to the state government and its entire citizenry.
Governor Bala, at an emergency meeting with LG chairmen, commissioners of some key ministries and some heads of security agencies in Bauchi Monday, squarely apportioned blames on the part of council chairmen whom, he said, have control of local authorities.
“In our forestry, bandits come and take positions after being provided the right of way by you people because local authorities are under you”, he told the twenty local government chairmen at the opening ceremony of their meeting.
“I want to know who are those behind the destruction of our forest reserves, intruders perpetuating crimes, especially in Ningi, Toro LGAs. They must be fish out immediately. And those settlers who came to take over our forest reserves”.
He further stated that though Nigeria is a country for all its citizens, but one cannot simply come and take shelter in Bauchi state forests only to perpetuate atrocities to satisfy his whims and caprices.
The Governor also disclosed that one of the meeting’s agenda is the issue of local government autonomy being yearned for quite sometimes now, observing however that the council chairmen are not even ready to take the issue headlong.
According to him, the council chairmen doesn’t even have the capacity for the autonomy, but are rather only after the money without necessarily taking to the challenges of governance at the grassroots.
