Bauchi people to benefit from FG’s science, technology programmes
Stories from Sule Aliyu, Bauchi

THE federal government has restated its willingness to hasten the development of the centre for Geodesy and Geodynamics sited in Toro local government council in Bauchi state to facilitate the installation of certain sensitive equipment for the benefit of the people.
Speaking during an inspection visit to the on-going construction work at the permanent site of the centre located at Barga village, the minister of science and technology, Prof. Turner. I. Isou said that the ministry accords high premium to the centre in Toro being one of the six centers managed by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NSRDA). He added that the centre in Toro is the only one that has been identified internationally as a suitable site for the study of earth movement.
Isoun opined that the ministry would intensity efforts for a speedy completion of the observation site in view of the urgent need of the international space agencies to install sophisticated instruments for the study of the movement of rocks and earthquakes.
Isoun, who commended the management of Toro local government council for redeeming its pledge of a site and a certificate of occupancy free, as a contribution to the actualization of the center, appealed to the state government to follow suit by redeeming its pledge of providing certain basic amenities to the centre as an indication of the interest in the project.
He said that with the development, a foundation has now been laid for Nigeria’s full participation with 20 years development programme in collaboration with other nations.
Conducting the minister round the site, the coordinator of the centre, Malam Tahir Yakubu said that the centre has conducted a geo-hazard development project to identify areas where volcanic eruption and landslide has taken place in Nigeria in the last 200 years.
Briefly, the minister while presenting him the certificate of the occupancy of the permanent site, the Toro local government council chairman, Malam Musa Abdullahi, said a part from the certificate, his council has also paid the sum of N1.2 million as compensation for farmlands affected.