Open letter to Gombe state Gov.

Your Excellency Sir, I hope this letter comes to you with no surprises. This is my second open letter to you since your emergence as the Governor of Gombe State in 2019. I struggled with my heart before writing you this second time, which makes it two letters within one year.

Today, as always, I am writing for two reasons; one is for the world to know what the ethnic nationalities of Gombe State are experiencing from your government, and secondly because this is the safest way to communicate to you as it has become public knowledge that you don’t have the equanimity to listen to observations or constructive criticisms in a face-to-face civil conversation.

The first item is an old matter: The appointment of Chief Judge of Gombe State. Your Excellency may recall that different groups ranging from professional bodies to tribal groups, individuals and elected representatives of Gombe South called out to you, not a call for favour but a call to be fair and just, to respect procedure and the time-honoured tradition of the Judicial arm of government. Sadly enough, you clandestinely renewed the appointment of Justice Muazu Abdulkadir Pindiga on the 4th of June, 2020, bringing his acting period to third, consecutively. As if that was not enough, you still went ahead to submit the names of Justice Pindiga and Justice Awak to the NJC for consideration for appointment as Chief Judge of Gombe State exempting the most senior judge in line without justification.

Your Excellency Sir, your flagrant disregard for procedure which is heavily ladened with sentiment against Gombe South, is not only detrimental to your political sojourn but also against the teachings of the holy books.

I am glad that the NJC itself has not been compromised so far. Little wonder they directed that the right thing be done. Your Excellency Sir, be afraid of God’s intervention. Do the needful!

The second issue I want to lay before you is the issue of Executive Order IV issued on the 14th July, 2020 and said to have taken effect on the 13th of the same month.

In this Order, reference was made to Section 3 of the Land Use Act (LUA) to justify the exercise of such powers.

Your Excellency Sir, it is important to remind you that, the Land Use Act is itself a draconian law with it origin traced to 1978. The Supreme Military Council which was the all-encompassing ruling organ of the military government in Nigeria promulgated the Land Use Decree No.14. In 1979. The ruling military government articulated the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in which the Land Use Act was given a legal backing. The essence of the insertion of the protective provision in the constitution was to ensure its continuity after the military might have left the corridors of power.

In my honest opinion sir, some laws need to be repealed to give way for inclusion and the flexibility that came with democracy, but unfortunately we are on sail with a Captain that loves moving away from the shores.

In your Executive Order 4 sub 4 where it was stated as follows:

(IV) As from the commencement of this order, it shall not be lawful for any Local Government Council to grant any right of occupancy to any person over any undeveloped land specified in sections II and III of this order.

Kindly cast your mind on the provisions of the LUA Part II, 6. (1) which states that

(1) “It shall be lawful for a Local

Government in respect of land not in an urban area”

(a) to grant customary rights of occupancy to any person or organisation for the use of land in the Local Government Areas for agricultural, residential and other purposes.

(b) to grant customary right of occupancy to any person or organisation for the use of land for grazing purposes and such other purposes ancillary to agricultural purposes as may be customary in the Local Government Area

Can you please tell me what is Urban about Tudu Kwaya, Bangunji, Todi, Tanglang, Tal etc?

Your order went further to state the following:

(V) As from commencement of this order, it shall not be lawful for any person or authority by whatever name called or addressed to sell to any person any undeveloped land specified in sections 2 and 3 of this order.

(VI) The centre from whence to determine the circumference of any radius shall be the palace of the paramount ruler of the area in question.

(VII) Any instrument or agreement purporting to transfer any undeveloped land in contravention of this order or the Act shall be void or of no effect and any party to any such instrument shall be liable for prosecution.

Your Excellency Sir, I believe we are making progress in our democratic voyage; if so then some laws made in the past should be repealed not modified and reinforced just for self aggrandizement. Think posterity sir.

Many people don’t understand the negativity associated with this executive order. For simplification purposes; it means that one day the governor can just wake up and allocate a vast area of land in Todi area for example, as grazing reserve or cattle colony or for other purpose he deems fit. (Do u sense the Ruga issue finding its way gradually?) What we have in Gombe South is vast arable land with good underground water that does not exist in other parts of the state, so the governor cleverly decided to pass an order to that effect.

What then happens to our customary lands? All would be lost to a self-serving aristocrat out to fulfill some agenda unknown to us.

It is important to also view it from the angle of rendering the local councils useless as the foundation of the burial ground of the local councils was laid with the passing into law The Gombe State Joint Project Development Agency (JPDA). I urge every well meaning Nigerian to look for a copy of that law, peruse it and make your voices heard.

In conclusion sir, I want to state categorically that majority of the indigines of Gombe State and Gombe South in particular, are not in support of the law that passed through the window of the State Assembly in respect of Joint Project Development Agency and are also not in support of your recent Executive Order (4) which is by its construct, anti people, Selfish, loaded with bad faith and a move to reverse the present system to something akin to FEUDALISM.

Also note that urban areas are not created by mere executive orders but by executive ACTIONS. When you take development to these areas as you are doing in Jekadafari and environs, the whole world will know that they are urban areas in the real sense of the word.

May God help you as you steer the affairs of the state. I pray for more wisdom to do the right thing and to be fair to all that are concerned.