All Progressives Congress (APC) has described Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed’s comments on President Bola Tinubu’s broadcast on the nationwide protests as dodging responsibility to address hunger and poverty even as a state governor receiving monthly allocations from the federal government.
Governor Mohammed while commenting on Tinubu’s speech following the mass protests described it as being empty and failing to address the problems of hunger and poverty which necessitated the protest after fuel subsidy removal.
However, reacting in a statement signed by the chairman of Bauchi APC publicity committee, Sa’adu Umar yesterday, the party said Governor Mohammed failed to put the billions of naira disbursed to Bauchi to solve issues of hunger and poverty into good use.
He said the governor’s comment may indicate an inclination towards sustaining the protests, adding that the protest did not succeed in Bauchi as it did in other parts of the country.
“For instance, Tinubu talked about removing taxes and import duties on food import to reduce prices of food. Aren’t high prices and availability of food part of the issues raised by the protesters? The speech also talked about how Tinubu is raising aggregate government revenues and was able to raise N9.1 trillion in the first half of the year. And has reduced the amount of revenue used in debt servicing by about 30%. Isn’t our debt burden and lean revenue affecting our naira and restricting provision of infrastructure and social welfare?” the statement said.
Similarly, a former speaker, House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has faulted Governor Mohammed.
Responding to the governor’s recent remarks, he said a leader is supposed to nurture and inspire the people he leads into positive action as against indulging in wanton self-adulation and praise.
He added that the job of leaders irrespective of politics or tribe is to ensure that they bring the national protest to a responsible end by appealing to governments to meet some of the legitimate demands of the protesters, especially, hunger and pervasive insecurity in the national interest.
