Determined to ensure continued provision of basic physical and organisational structures and facilities needed for the well being of the citizenry as well as check uncontrolled alienation of communal lands, the Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has signed Executive Order No 4 of 2020 expanding the radius of the existing urban areas and creating new ones in all the local government areas of the state.
A statement by Ismaila Uba Misilli, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the governor said the order which is with effect from July 13, is in the exercise of the powers conferred on the governor by section 3 of the Land Use Act and all other powers enabling him in that behalf.
In the order signed on Tuesday at the Government House, Gombe and cited as the ‘Designation of the Urban Areas in Gombe State,’ the governor revoked the earlier designated urban areas under Order No. 1 of 1999 and made the new orders.
The new orders are that all the land within 20 kilometres radius of Gombe Local Government Headquarters is hereby designated as urban area.
Also, all Local Government Councils Headquarters in the state and all the land within 15 Kilometers radius of the Local Government Headquarters specified in schedule 1 hereto are hereby designated as urban areas just as all the land within 10 kilometres of the radius listed in schedule 2 hereto are hereby designated as urban areas.
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It further contained that as from the commencement of the new order, it shall not be lawful for any Local Government Council to grant any right of occupancy to any person over any undeveloped land specified in sections 2 and 3 of this order.
Also, as from the commencement of the order, it shall not be lawful for any person or authority by whatever name called or addressed to sell to any person any undeveloped land specified in sections 2 and 3 of this order.
The centre from whence to determine the circumference of any radius shall be the palace of the paramount ruler of the area in question.
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Furthermore, any instrument or agreement purporting to transfer any undeveloped land in contravention of this order or the Act shall be void or of no effect and any party to any such instrument shall be liable for prosecution while the designation of Urban Areas Order Number 1 of 1999 was revoked.
It also empowers that the governor may revise or modify this order as he deems fit and such revision or modification may be given retrospective effect.
According to the new order, in addition to the Headquarters of the respective Local Government Councils, the newly designated towns are Pindiga, Kashere, Tumu, Gona and Akko Town in Akko LGA; Bambam, Cham and Degri in Balanga LGA; Baganje Tal and Todi in Billiri LGA and Gombe- Abba, Hashidu, Jamari, Malala and Dokoro in Dukku Local Government area.
Others are Tongo, Ashaka and Ribadu in Funakaye LGA; Ture, Kamo, Awak Dogon Ruwa and Tula in Kaltungo LGA; Bojude, Dukkul, Gadam, Kwami and Komfulata in Kwami Local Government areas.
The rest are Birin Fulani, Birin Bolawa and Barwo; Lapan, Kulishin and Filiya as well as Dadinkowa, Kwadon and Kuri in Nafada, Shongom and Yamaltu Deba Local Government areas respectively.