The Bauchi State caucus in the House of Representatives have resubmitted an application seeking the creation of Katagum State to the Committee on Constitution Review.
Addressing newsmen on Thursday in Abuja after the submission of the application, Rep. Auwalu Gwalabe (PDP-Bauchi) said the caucus wanted the National Assembly to repeal Section 3 of the constitution to pave way for the creation of the state and additional local governments.
Mr Gwalabe, representing Katagum Federal Constituency of Bauchi State, said that the proposed state should be created out of Bauchi State.
He said that the resubmission had become necessary sequel to the ruling of the committee which nullified the earlier submissions for lacking in merit.
The lawmaker said that the call for the creation of Katagum State had been on since the 1980s and had enjoyed widespread support from people of the area and members of the parliament from the state and beyond.
“The manpower to run the state is there. We have the land spread and the required facilities to run a viable state.
“You are all aware that sometime ago, we demanded for the creation of Katagum State, and a memorandum was submitted to the Committee on Constitution Review.
“Unfortunately, the committee realised that there were some errors and mistakes in almost all the memoranda; the 31 memos that were sent to them.
“They gave us an ultimatum, a time limit that elapses on March 5, within which to correct all these memos and resubmit to the committee.
“Today, we are submitting our own corrected documents, duly signed by our elected councillors and our elected chairmen of the local government councils.
“So in view of this development, we are, on behalf of the entire people, the entire population of the united people of Katagum, Jama’are and Misau who are the carved areas, demanding for the creation of the state,” he said.
The lawmaker said that all members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly and the National Assembly, the governor of the state and all other stakeholders were in support of the state creation.
Also speaking, Ibrahim Gamawa said that the proposed state was already blessed with all the requirements for the creation of a state.
According to him, some state capitals that have been created long ago do not have some of the facilities that the proposed state capital enjoys presently.
“Look at the road networks connecting Azare with major towns in the north, like Kano, Maiduguri, the power grid, road networks in the state, even university.
“We presently have a university in Azare. We have a teaching hospital and other facilities; so creating Katagum state will not be a burden to the Federal Government, as only very little will be done for the state capital,” he said.
(NAN)
