Group Lampoons Governor Bala Mohammed’s Maladministration, Urges Anti-Corruption Agencies To Investigate Him

Yakubu Busari

The  Vice Chairman, Lawyers for the Cause of Bauchi (LAWBA)& Co-Ordinator Program Secretariat,U. K. Adams Esq, has admonished the APC-led Federal Government and the national leadership of the APC to be careful and circumspect a great deal in how they want to handle the touted defection of Governor Bala Muhammad to the fold of their party at this material time, given the circumstances.

 

 

Speaking at a press conference at the Plateau State of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, on Monday in Jos,Barr. Adams described the defection of the opposition in Bauchi State full of corruption.

 

However, he said their greatest concern now is   the populace in Bauchi State on  how EFCC and ICPC’s engaged on handling corrupt cases against his administration and its officials will fare going forward if at the end of the day he defects to the APC.

 

As a matter of public knowledge, Governor Bala and a member of his family were facing a couple of corruption allegations before he became governor in 2019.

 

As his 2nd tenure in office as Governor winds down in 2027, the society is anxiously waiting how the anti-graft bodies will resume the trial for the cases that became stalled due to the immunity he currently enjoys from criminal prosecution in addition to the cases that emanated during his tenure as Governor. Interestingly, two of these cases which are said to be many have to do with the current and the immediate past Accountant General of Bauchi State.

 

Against the backdrop of all these, we believe we are speaking the minds of the majority of the citizens in Bauchi.

 

 

For the sake of politics, we understand that it means nothing for the two sides to close ranks for the sake of working for President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 or any other interest they may have as if the Governor of Bauchi State has not had occasions to publicly and vigorously criticize President Tinubu.

 

At least, some of us can vividly recall that when in August last year Senator Shehu Buba representing Bauchi South in the Senate joined the fray of defending President Tinubu against the Governor’s flurry of criticisms he had to lose his traditional title of Mujaddadin Bauchi as a result.

 

On his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar’s experience is not anything different, talking about how the Governor’s camp takes seriously to being criticized even when same is justified or understandable.

 

Knowing the high level of political orientation, awareness, socialization and capacity of our people, I think it is clear that the APC top brass would want to think twice on this matter if they really want to fare better in the next presidential election in Bauchi State.

 

More important than all this, however, we want the whole world to be on alert that while the average citizen in Bauchi State may be having sympathy for the President Tinubu and the APC come 2027, a lot will for sure depend on the disposition of government towards supporting the efforts to unravel the truth about the financial health and resources of Bauchi State in the context of the on-going and other corruption cases in the offing featuring or involving the present administration in the state.

 

Our people are conscious of how much the state has earned since the coming on board of the present administration.

 

They are following all that has been happening with the local government administration pre and post autonomy.

 

They are conscious of so many things and are correctly analyzing how better their life would have fared if the government fulfilled its election promises.

 

So, to the average Bauchi person, let the Governor like any other politician join APC but this must have nothing to do with the process or efforts to determine the fate of how tax payer’s money which accrued under his watch fared.

 

We are wiser as a people and politically, Bauchi State no dey carry last.

 

We join other well-meaning Nigerians in applauding the Supreme Court over its recent judgement to the effect that the Freedom of Information Act is applicable to both federal and all states in the country including their MDAs.

 

For us in the struggle for a better and secured Bauchi State, we shall deploy the veritable tool offered by the judgement to ensure that politicians and leaders don’t take the people for granted.

 

To succeed in these efforts, and as we have always emphasized, the media has a crucial and critical role to play. From how we have been relating to this point, we are confident that we will successfully handle the onerous task together.