Gombe: Balanga South LCDA Ends Years of Marginalization

/By Abdul Lauya

The creation of Balanga South Local Council Development Area (LCDA) by the Gombe State Government marks a significant turning point for the long-marginalised communities of Dadiya, Cham and Lunguda in the present Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe South Senatorial District.

Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, on Wednesday transmitted a bill to the Gombe State House of Assembly seeking the establishment of 13 new LCDAs, including Balanga South with its headquarters in Bambam.

The move is aimed at deepening grassroots governance, improving service delivery, and fostering inclusive development.

For decades, the Dadiya, Cham and Lunguda communities have grappled with limited administrative presence, inadequate infrastructure and minimal political representation under the larger Balanga LGA structure.

The proposed LCDA offers them, for the first time, a dedicated administrative unit capable of addressing local needs in security, education, healthcare and infrastructure without the bureaucratic delays associated with distant council headquarters.

Political observers note that beyond the symbolic recognition, the creation of Balanga South could recalibrate local power dynamics in Gombe South Senatorial District, giving these communities a stronger voice in both state and regional politics.

Under the proposed arrangement, Interim Management Committees will run the new councils until elections are conducted, with budgetary provisions and staffing frameworks expected to be put in place for immediate take-off.

Governor Yahaya urged the Assembly to give the bill “expeditious and favourable consideration” and called on citizens to support the initiative, describing it as a bold step toward “grassroots-driven development” in Gombe State.

If passed into law, Balanga South LCDA could become a model for bridging the gap between government and historically underserved communities, signalling a new era of administrative inclusion in the state.