A former governorship candidate in Bauchi State under the African Liberation Party (ALP), Alhaji Umar Musa Gwaskwaram, has appealed to Governor Bala Mohammed and the State House of Assembly to create additional emirates and districts across the state to promote justice, fairness, and grassroots development.

Gwaskwaram commended the governor’s recent efforts to strengthen traditional institutions through the creation of new emirates and districts, but noted that some areas were still shortchanged and deserved further consideration.

According to him, there is a need to establish three additional emirates from the present Katagum Emirate, namely Zaki and Sakwa Emirate, Itas and Gadau Emirate, and Shira and Disina Emirate. He explained that several ancient kingdoms in Bauchi State, including Tashena, Shira, and Mashema, emerged between 1,000 and 1,400 AD and are located within these areas, underscoring their historical significance.

He said that there has been perceived marginalisation within the Bauchi Emirate, particularly in Munmunsal and Gwaskwaram areas, which he said have suffered neglect since the colonial era. According to him, the absence of adequate governance structures in these communities has hindered development, stressing the need for the creation of more districts, wards, and village heads to promote effective grassroots administration.

Gwaskwaram lauded Mohammed for the recent creation of 14 emirates and 144 additional district heads, describing the move as a major step towards bringing governance closer to the people. However, he observed that out of the 14 new emirates, eight were carved from Bauchi Emirate—Bununu, Lere, Darazo, Duguri, Toro, Lame, Jama’a, and Sayawa Chiefdom—while three came from Ningi Emirate: Burra, Ari, and Warji. Only two, he noted, were created from Katagum Emirate, despite its size and seven local government areas.

He urged the government to revisit and create additional emirates in Katagum Emirate. He appealed to the governor to expand the creation of emirate councils statewide to accelerate socio-economic development and improve access to traditional leadership.

Expressing optimism, he said he believed the governor and the state legislature would heed the call of the people and act in the overall interest of fairness and development. He urged the government not to be deterred by opposition from what he described as “self-centred interests,” stressing that governance decisions should prioritise the welfare of the majority.

He outlined the expected benefits of the proposed reforms to include accelerated socio-economic development, wider distribution of democratic dividends, equitable sharing of political opportunities based on balanced representation, and healthy competition in the implementation of government policies and programmes.