Paul Orude Bauchi
Bauchi State government has raised alarm over the illegal entry of trailer load large group of strange people from the North West into the state to settle.
Governor Bala Mohammed made this known when the National Chairman of the Police Community Public Relations Committee (PCPRC), Dr Farouk Abdullahi, led leaders of various states and zones on a courtesy call to Government House, Bauchi, on Wednesday.
Represented by his Deputy Senator Baba Tela, Governor Mohammed said the problem was not coming into the state to settle but coming in droves without passing through necessary COVID 19 and security protocol.
“If you are coming here to settle and you are doing it peacefully and in accordance with the law, and in accordance with what the people here want, that is alright but for you to just come with your family and everything and just decide to clear a piece of land and stay there is not acceptable, “ he said.
“We are not talking about two or five people; we are talking of trailer load of people from some part of the country. You don’t know the kind of people they are, you don’t know what they are running from.
“Of course there is freedom of movement in this country as enshrined in the constitution, and you can choose where to settle but you must do it within the confine of the law,” he said.
The governor thanked the PCPR officials for the visit saying the administration is open and ready to work with the committee anytime to improve on the issue of security in the state.
“We all know the importance of policing, police and security and we are happy that the first thing you noticed when you came is that Bauchi is peaceful in spite of the influx of population of people from our neighbouring states who had to abandon their houses, their farmlands to come to Bauchi to be secured,” said.
Mohammed thanked the police and other security agencies in the state as well as relevant and voluntary organiations like the PCPR for working tirelessly to ensure that the state remains peaceful.
“Within the last three years or so our population has jumped to over seven million. In spite of the lean resources of the state and the stress on our facilities, but in terms of our promise to provide wherewithal for our people we have been able to come through the murdy waters of ruling the state”
He urged the PCPR to help the state in the area of advice and intelligence gathering to ensure that crimes are prevented.
Earlier in his remark, the PCPR National President recalled that the governor gave a piece of land to the committee when he was the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and used to opportunity to convey their gratitude.
Dr Abdullahi praised the governor’s friendship towards the PCPR, and described him as a man of the people.
“That is why he was able to bring the whole PCPR from across the country to Bauchi State for our meeting, the first of its kind in Nigeria,” he said
He pledged that the committee would continue to partner with the state government and the police as well as other security agencies to maintain the peace in the state and country at large