2023: Conduct Peaceful Campaigns, Gov Bala Tells Parties, Politicians

Governor Bala Mohammed has appealed to political parties and contestants of various elective offices to prevail on their members and supporters to be law abiding and peaceful in the conduct of their electioneering campaigns ahead of the 2023 polls.

He said the peaceful conduct of the recent political parties’ primary elections was a testimony of the entrenchment of democratic values and norms in the nation’s political system, and expressed confidence that the attribute would be replicated during the forthcoming general elections.

The governor in a goodwill message to mark the 2022 Democracy Day in Bauchi yesterday, June 12, noted with delight that primary elections of all the political parties preparatory to the 2023 general elections were conducted peacefully.

He reiterated the commitment of his administration to the provision of more dividends of democracy to the people of the state, and appealed for their continued support and cooperation towards the realization of the noble objective.

On healthcare service delivery, the governor keeps re-echoing his approval almost a year ago for the recruitment of 100 medical doctors to run the state’s health facilities, whereas dearth of staff had continued to witch-hunt the health facilities in the state.

The governor was recently quoted to have said that his government had recruited a number of medical staff but refused to take up the appointments for poor remunerations, when investigations from the ministry of health confirmed that none had been recruited into the state services.

The approval for the recruitment of the medical personnel about a year ago was also along with the engagement of 1,060 medical/paramedical students on pre-service scheme to bridge the gap in human resource for the health sector, which approval was also not implemented.

He, however, said in the democracy day message, “Our government has therefore placed high premium on health care delivery service. To demonstrate our commitment to the health subsector, our government has allocated 16.2% of the 2022 state budget to the subsector which is above the Abuja declaration of 15%.

“We have built four new general hospitals at Azare, Dambam, Warji and Duguri. Primary Health Centres have been constructed and existing once have been renovated across the State, one each in the 323 wards. Hospital equipment, furniture and electro – medical equipment have also been provided to health facilities across the state.”

According to the governor there is no better alternative to democracy as a form of government that gives the people the right to choose who to govern them and how they want to be governed.