Hadejia State: Elongated dream of a people

According to findings, the request for the creation of Hadejia State received a boost between 1982 and 1983 when the then National Assembly endorsed the request for the referendum, but due to a change of government, the long-awaited dream could not be actualised. Also in 1991, a similar request was put before the then Military […]

According to findings, the request for the creation of Hadejia State received a boost between 1982 and 1983 when the then National Assembly endorsed the request for the referendum, but due to a change of government, the long-awaited dream could not be actualised.

Also in 1991, a similar request was put before the then Military Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. In 1994 another request was submitted to the then National Constitutional Conference under late General Sani Abacha.  

Pyramid Trust learnt that when the National Constitutional Conference submitted its report to the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC), the proposed Hadejia State was among the seven states recommended for early creation by the PRC.

The community, our correspondent learnt, made a fresh request for the creation of Hadejia state in 1996 through the Local Government and Boundary Adjustment Committee, a committee set up by the federal government to re-examine the recommendations of the National Constitutional Conference on creation of states and local governments as well as border adjustments.

However, following the PRC’s recommendation that suggested the creation of one state in each of the six geo-political zones, Hadejia community lost their bid to the present Zamfara State being the only state created from the North-West zone then.

In October, 2009, the request for the creation of Hadejia State was also forwarded to the National Assembly for endorsement and onward conveyance to the executive arm of government for the final approval. Furthermore, in 2009, a memorandum requesting the creation of Hadejia State was also presented to the NASS. The community also requested the creation of 11 additional local governments that included Bualngu, Biram, Diginsa, Dakaiyawa and Fadama local governments.

Others are Sarawa, Jarkasa, Kadira, Ruba, Jabo and Ayama local government areas. This makes the number of local governments for the proposed Hadejia State to 19, as initially, the Hadejia Emirate comprises of only eight local government that include Auyo, Birniwa, Guri, Hadejia, Kafin-Hausa, Kaugama, Kirikasamma and Mallam-Madori.

Findings indicated that the proposed Hadejia State has a land mass of not less than 7000sq km with a population of 1,245,571 according to the statistics of the 2006 National Population Census. The population might have increased by now given the average national growth rate of 2.83% per annum.

Under the provincial system of administration, Pyramid Trust gathered, Hadejia Emirate was the second largest emirate in the then Kano province in terms of size, economy, population and other socio-economic indices. The area was also blessed with enough human and natural resources that include water and fertile soil suitable for all kinds of agricultural activities.

However, just last Wednesday, the July 28, 2010, Hadejia community under the auspice of Movement for the Creation of Hadejia State again put another request before the National Assembly for the creation of Hadejia State.

The delegation was led to the NASS from Jigawa State by the Speaker, Jigawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Adamu Ahmad Sarawa.

In a separate presentation, the Speaker informed the leaders of the NASS that, “From the information available to us, each of the requests previously put before the concerned authorities made progress towards realisation of our proposed state, but only to be scuttled apparently due to the undemocratic nature of the situation.”

Alhaji Adamu further recalled that the proposed Hadejia State and its people were the most unfairly treated in the history of state creation exercise of the military nationwide. He added that although pessimistic Nigerians have the belief that due to the cumbersome provision of the constitution, new states could not be created under a democratic setting, the people of Hadejia do not share this pessimism.

“We believe the National Assembly can break that jinx and create more states during the lifetime of the present administration. And we hope that Hadejia State would be one of the new states to be created. Interestingly, the movement for the creation of HadejiaSstate has the backing of the present Jigawa State government.”

Responding, the Senate, President, Chief David Mark, assured the delegation that the request for the creation of Hadejia State would get the support of the Senate, saying, “I was delighted with the way and manner you are demanding your constitutional right.”

Chief Mark further stated that, although the Senate has received various requests for creation of states from different communities, yet the movement for the creation of Hadejia State has exhibited a sense of maturity and commitment in an effort to actualised its dream.

“People are worried about state creation because it is the only way that government will come closer to them. The beauty of democracy is that people have the right to express their opinion in order to achieve their political, social and economic objectives,” declared the Senate President.

On his part, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Dimeji Sabur Bankole, told the delegation the recent moves for  actualising the constitutional amendment under the present administration was a clear testimony that democratic dispensation could tamper with the constitution just to favour Nigerians.

Bankole added that, “the ongoing move for the constitutional amendment has indicated that creation of states is possible under a democratic dispensation. But one very important issue you need to understand is that despite the fact that, both Kano and Jigawa constituted 10% of the House of the NASS, your representatives need to get the support of 60% of other members in the House.”

The Speaker however, advised the community to go back and re-structure their strategies and submit the same to the NASS through their representatives, saying if properly organised, the request for the creation of Hadejia State would receive adequate attention from the NASS.

Earlier in his contribution, a member representing Takai/Sumaila federal constituency from Kano, Alhaji Abdul-Rahman Kawu Sumaila, advised the Movement to liaise with Movement for the creation of Gari and Tigari in the present Kano to fight for their common goal.