Alhaji Ya’u Shehu Abubakar, the District Head of Burra in Ningi local government area of Bauchi State has been issued a query letter for “speaking against the illegal deforestation taking placing at Burra forest”, WikkiTimes can report.
Chairman, Ningi Local Government, Hon Mamuda Hassan Tabla in a query letter which was signed by Jibrin Isah Bello on behalf of the chairman and addressed to the District Head dated 14th September 2021 queried the powers of the District Head to communicate with the Bauchi State Government without permission from the local council.
“You have been observed to be disobedient and disrespectful to your immediate answerable officers.
“You have no right whatsoever to communicate directly with state government officials without the consent of the Local Government Chairman and His Royal Highness the Emir of Ningi, which is contrary to rule 60A of the local government staff regulation.
“In view of the foregone, you are directed to explain yourself within 24hrs as to why disciplinary actions should not be taken against you,” the letter read in part.
Sources familiar with the feud told WikkiTimes that the District Head attracted the anger of the local authorities insisting that felling trees in the forest must be discontinued.
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A source who doesn’t want his name on print for fear of being victimized says the district head has a history of resisting the illegal activities of tree cutters in the Lame-Burra Forest Reserve who he tagged as being “treacherous to the safety and continued existence of the people of the area.”
WikkiTimes recalled that despite expressing their grip over grand deforestation which exposed their community to windstorms and flooding in the recent past, residents of the district continue to suffer massive tree felling from illegal loggers with backing from local authorities.
The state governor Bala Mohammed had vowed to clamp down on the illegal tree fellers, a promise he has yet to fulfil.
Responding to the query issued by the LG Chairman, Ya’u Shehu Abubakar, the district head of Burra says the query issued to him was unfounded.
The District Head, however, maintained that the situation at hand in his domain is exigent which requires the application of the flexible approach to be addressed because they posed danger to the safety of lives of the people.
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“Thus, why do we have what is called contingency approach or situational approach. The situation you find yourself is what will determine your communication methodology. You equally have what is called the doctrine of necessity,” he wrote in his response to the query.
Alhaji Ya’u Abubakar said that deforestation for timber production, firewood, charcoal and farming has consumed a larger chunk of the forest thereby exposing the land to “land degradation.”
He said that unknown people have infiltrated the forest posing threat to the security of the entire Burra District and the state at large.
The District head explains that two ward heads in his domain separately reported cases of ‘mass invasion of the forest and allocation of land spearheaded by the guards responsible for protecting the forest.
“The Wanton destruction of our forest resources and settlements of nomads inside Lame/Burra had been on for about 10 years. We have various reports that the Lame portion had largely been consumed, hence their desperation to settle the nomads mostly coming from areas prone to banditry, Zamfara and Katsina States.
“Nothing has been done to evacuate them by the various governments. The settlements kept on increasing with people like Musan Gero and Yusuf Maikarfi and a host of others also moving into the area,” he said.
The district head said that the local authorities in the local government are fully aware of how one Hon Abdulmumini Kyata along with local accomplices are consolidating efforts to turn a greater part of the Lame-Burra forest into farmlands but did nothing to halt the illegal act.
“Hon. Abdulmumin Liman Kyata together with some indigenes were establishing farmlands in the forest, you eventually called them to your office in Ningi along with Mal. Uba Ahmed and MusanGero. I don’t know what followed. The problem has persisted,” he said
“Recently, however, there was a strong rumour that the indigenes had also formed themselves into an Association hoping to get hectares of farmland carved out for them in the Reserve Like had been done to their counterparts in Lame portion of the reserve.”
Alhaji Ya’u Shehu Abubakar described the query served on him as “highly unbelievable, absolutely irritating and unrepresentative of my character, nature, temperament and personality.
“To suggest of me being disobedient and disrespectful to my superior officers is uncharitable considering my almost 30 years unblemished and glorious career in both the Bauchi State Service and the federal Public Service.”
In their response to the query and purported suspension of the District head of Burra, Burra Youths Progressive Movement, BUYPOM, said it comes to them as surprise that after responding to the query served on him, Ningi Emirate Council suspended him when the matter has not been fully determined by the authorities of the local government.
“Burra Youths Progressive Movement (BUYPOM) wishes to inform the general public that the entire people of Burra District, condemn in strong terms the entire process implored by the local government and the Emirate Council leading to the suspension of Sarkin Burra and disagree with the position.
“We do not agree with the combined decision of the Local Government and the Emirate Council on this issue and call on the State government to intervene and salvage the problem which is tilted with pure selfish interests for the prosperity and well-being of its citizenry,” BUYPOM said.
