By Priscilla Campbell,
Minna
Participants of a Town Hall in Bosso Local Government Area have blamed the increasing social vices such as armed banditry, and robbery attacks, among others confronting the state to the activities of strangers with questionable characters.
Decrying the influx of people, especially to Bosso council, they alleged that many of the foreigners were coming into the state settle down in the council and adding to their challenges.
The participants blamed some indigenes, who sold lands to the strangers without knowing who they were or where they came from for the problems.
At a meeting organized on the directive of the State Government to get the minds of the people of the council toward evolving a Policy on Urban Development in Maikunkele , they said rather than outright selling of the lands, it would be better to lease them out.
“Many foreigners are coming into the state unaccounted for and Bosso local government accounts for the highest number. They are adding more to the problems, we have now in the area. That is why we are telling our people to stop outright sale of lands to people we know nothing about for our safety, but we can lease it to them.”
They appealed to the state government to come up with a policy against illegal miners such as gold to tackle its negative environmental effect on the council and state at large.
The participants also called for change of attitude of people towards facilities provided by government in their areas.
Some of the challenges facing the council, according to them, are insecurity, inadequate electricity supply, lack of portable water, no healthcare services, lack of good management of solid waste and, sanitation, roads and educational facilities, which they hinged to lack of political will of government and finance.
“Our council is faced with security challenges such as armed banditry attacks, farmers/ herdmen clashes, poverty, and alot of other social vices among the youths that are used by politicians and later dumped. We need help from government in tackling them.”
The convener of the meeting, Prof. Musa Galadima, a Professor of Micro Biology of the Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna, said that stakeholders met to discuss issues and challenges confronting the area to be forwarded to the state government to form part of the policy on Urban development soon to be embarked upon.
“We earlier had a meeting of six Lgs in Minna and Rafi Lg to discuss the welfare of the people. And when, you talk of urbanization, and when you talk about evolving a policy, you have to take into account the people, the agricultural and natural resources, economic potentials. You have to carry the people along.
“So, we met to make our input, which the state will collect and based on the information gathered from each of the LGs not only Bosso, but the whole councils to evolve the urban policy.”
But, the District Head of Bosso, Mal. Adamu Laka, commended the state government for organizing the meeting to move the council and state toward the path of sustainable development, while thanking government for initiative. He said, “We want more of such meetings at least quarterly and I believe it would help us and the state at large.”
The meeting had in attendance the LG chairman, and its management team, district heads, participants from the 10 wards of the council.
