Usman Midala Balama, the member of the House of Representatives representing Hawul/Askira-Uba federal constituency of Borno State, has described the creation of Savannah State out of the present Borno State as imperative due to Borno’s current population and number of local government areas.
The Zonal Public Hearing brought together critical stakeholders across the Northeast, including members of the state House of Assembly, Federal Constituency members, and traditional rulers in Maiduguri.
“If you look at all the states in the North-East, Borno State has the largest population; and it has 27 local government areas, which also is the highest number in the geopolitical zone,” Midala told newsmen in Maiduguri, Saturday, at the sidelines of the House of Representatives version of the ongoing constitution Review.
“We want to ensure effective utilisation of resources in this country; and when we talk of that, the smaller the size of the component, the easier and more effective the management of the resources it has,” he argued.
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“So, for the people of Borno State, the creation of Savannah State is a win-win situation, because once Southern Borno has Savannah, Borno itself will have a population it can easily manage in terms of development, resource utilisation and even in terms of security,” the federal parliamentarian argued further.
“I want to say today to all lovers of democracy and to all citizens of Borno State that the agitation and yearning for the creation of Savannah State is a clarion call for all to support, whether you are from Northern, Central or Southern Borno,” Midala said.
“Because this is a constitution review, we must align it with the yearnings and aspirations of our people, which is the creation of Savannah State,” Midala said, assuring, “the yearning for the creation of Savannah State is not a yearning that goes against anybody in Borno State.”
He argued that in the entire North-East, Southern Borno is the most deserving of state creation and should, therefore, be given Savannah State.
According to him, the state has a significant landmass, local government areas and the highest population in the northeast, which makes it ideal for division.
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He said, “If you look at the whole state in the North East, Borno state has the highest population, secondly, Borno has the highest number of LGAs, about 27 of them, and 28 state house of assembly. In all settings, when you want to ensure effective utilisation of resources, the smaller the component, the easier and more effective the management of resources
“We can curtail the security situation when we can demarcate the state in a model that can easily be coordinated”, he added.
He further noted that the division of the state will enhance effective management of the state’s population and its resources.
“For people of Borno state, it is a win-win situation. Once the southern Borno has Savannah, it will be easier for the population to be managed, and also in terms of mineral, resource allocation, and security,” Balami said
While urging support for the state creation, the HOR member said, “I want to say to every lover of democracy, all citizens of Borno state, that the agitation and yearning for Savannah state is a Clarion call for everyone to support”
