Bauchi Assembly cautions Chairmen against encroaching forest reserves, deforestation

From Abdullahi Alhassan, Bauchi

Bauchi State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has completed its statewide familiarization visit to the twenty local government areas of the State with a visit to Gamawa and Zaki Local Government Councils.

Speaking during the visits in Gamawa and Zaki today, the Chairman of the Committee Honorable. Bala Abdullahi Dan said that the purpose of their statewide familiarization visit is to build working relationship and unity between the legislature and the local governments as well as ensuring quality service delivery to the people.

He cautioned the Chairmen and their Council on encroachment of forest and grazing reserves and logging in their local governments as the culture is becoming one of the major environmental and security problem in the State.

The Chairman said that encroachment of the forests and deforestation are not only causing desertification and other environmental dangers but fuelling farmers-herders conflicts and other security problems, urging the Chairmen to not only discourage the dangerous practice but fight it headon.

While telling the chairmen to carry every member of the Councils and workers along in their administration, he further asked all the local governments officials to fear Almighty Allah in the discharge of their duties so as to ensure transparency and development.

In their separate remarks, the Chairmen Caretaker Committees of Gamawa and Zaki Local Government Areas Alhaji Nasiru Bakura and Alhaji Adamu Yakubu Sakwa expressed their appreciation to the Committee for the visit which they described as brotherly because all of them are serving the same mission.

They narrated the achievements they recorded since assumption of duty and pledged to give maximum cooperation to the State Assembly so as to ensure transparency, accountability and justice in local government administration in the State.