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Tag: Bauchi governor

  • JUST IN: Peter Obi, Bauchi Gov in closed-door meeting

    JUST IN: Peter Obi, Bauchi Gov in closed-door meeting

    Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi is in  Bauchi State for a meeting with Governor Bala Mohammed. 

    He was received at the airport by the Deputy Governor Mohammed Auwal Jatau around  10:00am on Thursday before  proceeding to the Government House where he is holding a private meeting with Mohammed.

    Read Also: 2027: PDP governors deny backing El-Rufai, Obi presidential ticket

    Although the details of their discussion remain unknown, the meeting has raised speculations about possible political collaboration.

    Details Shortly…

  • Buba urges Bauchi Governor to release funds for flood victims

    Buba urges Bauchi Governor to release funds for flood victims

    Senator Shehu Umar Buba has expressed sorrow over the recent flood that ravaged parts of Bauchi State, particularly Fadaman Mada, which suffered damage to homes and others.

    In response to the disaster, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence donated N10 million and 500 bags of rice to five LGAs.

    The local government areas are Katagum, Giade, Jamma’are, Zaki, and Darazo. They received N2 million and 100 bags of rice, respectively.

    In his condolence to the affected families, Senator Buba emphasised the need for immediate action so as to cushion the adverse effects.

    Read Also:NLC is wrong, President Tinubudid not betray or deceive anyone on fuel price – TDF

    “I received the news of the unfortunate incident with sadness, and I pray that Allah grants the victims the strength to endure this loss,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

    Buba, however, urged the Bauchi State Government to swiftly access the N3 billion earmarked by the Federal Government for flood relief.

    The Senator said the fund, approved by the National Economic Council (NEC), was specifically intended to assist victims of natural disasters.

    “The release and proper disbursement of the fund would significantly impact the lives of countless individuals affected by the flood,” the statement added.

  • Arewa Forum warns Bauchi gov over attack on Tinubu

    Arewa Forum warns Bauchi gov over attack on Tinubu

    The Arewa Young Leaders Forum (AYLF) has issued a stern warning to Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State over his constant attacks on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, vowing to take action if he fails to desist.

    In a statement, signed by Alhaji Ibrahim Maikifi and Dr. Anthony Apochi, its President and General Secretary respectively, the AYLF expressed disappointment and dismay at Governor Mohammed’s recent declaration that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may invite President Tinubu to be their campaign director in 2027.

    “Governor Mohammed’s constant criticism of President Tinubu’s policies and his claim that they are ‘anti-masses’ are baseless and lack substance,” said the AYLF.

    “No wonder, many have alleged that he is sponsoring the ongoing protests against the President, using his position and resources to fuel the unrest. This is a clear case of political mischief and an attempt to incite unrest and chaos in the country.”

    The forum praised the President’s reforms for yielding fruits aplenty, especially in the agriculture, water resources, and aviation sectors, scaling up food production, reducing hunger, and addressing inflation, and safety concerns of citizens and foreigners.

    Read Also: Be patient with Tinubu, Lagos Qoudriyyah Leaders Urge Nigerians

    “We strongly believe that Governor Mohammed’s utterances are a deliberate attempt to distract Nigerians from his own failures in governance,” the AYLF said.

    “His administration has failed to provide basic amenities to the people of Bauchi State, and he is now trying to shift attention to the federal government. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

    The AYLF urged Governor Mohammed to focus on governance and stop playing politics with the lives of Nigerians.

    They called on him to retract his statement and apologize to President Tinubu and the APC administration, warning that failure to do so would be met with resistance from well-meaning Nigerians.

    “We call on Governor Mohammed to retract his statement and apologise to President Tinubu and the APC administration,” the forum said.

    “We also urge the relevant authorities to take note of the Governor’s actions and take necessary measures to prevent him from causing further chaos in the country.”

    The AYLF also stated that it is the failure of leaders like Governor Mohammed at the state level that has crippled development and resulted in the dearth of infrastructure across the country.

    They emphasised that his inability to provide basic amenities to the people of Bauchi State is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

    “We stand solidly behind President Tinubu and the APC administration, and we will not allow Governor Mohammed’s antics to destabilize the country,” the forum said.

    “We will continue to support the federal government’s efforts to develop the country and improve the lives of Nigerians.”

  • Work-plan for Bauchi governor

    Sir: In politics, there is more to success than winning election. This is especially so given that the aim of representative democracy, of which politics is a bastion, is to ensure good governance. Hence, the first concerns of a politician upon getting to power should be to establish a government that can effectively and efficiently administer public trust.

    This should be the first concerns of Governor Bala Muhammed of Bauchi State. He is expected to constitute a team of highly qualified and competent persons who are indubitably committed to nation building. Persons of integrity and competence who have vast knowledge in government and the society should be considered appropriate for appointment as aides and as members of the state executive council.

    And for the civil service, the governor must understand that especially in the last four years, the institution has suffered enough neglect that has brought about indiscipline in the service. While reinvigorating it is imminent, politics must not be played in the exercise. Being the engine room of government, whatever it takes to protect its sanctity should be done for the mere fact that its level of effectiveness is directly proportional to the extent to which government can implement its policies and programs.

    With a formidable executive council and an effective civil service, Governor Bala Mohammed will have no difficulty changing the socio-economic and political narratives in Bauchi State. The governor should consider as his first assignment to complete projects started by his predecessor.

    Thereafter, the governor can look at the critical sectors of health, education, agriculture and industries to top his priority list. This is given the fact that no meaningful development can be attained in any society without health infrastructures that can enhance quality healthcare service delivery.

    And just as access to quality healthcare services is significant to the socio-economic prosperity of a people, so is education. The future of a people solely depends on how they nurture their youth. The youth forms the backbone and vanguard of the society and therefore, government must invest in education to assure the future. Education should be adequately funded; teachers should be routinely trained and retrained and all necessary requirements for effective learning by students should be met.

    While quality education assures the future, food sufficiency not only deals with the problems of malnutrition but also brings economic growth. There is therefore every reason for the present government in Bauchi State to work hard towards promoting agricultural activities. Even if it will not invest money into the sector, it can consider providing an enabling environment for agripreneurs to gainfully cultivate crops and rear animals for the use of man. Agricultural tools and implements, fertiliser as well as chemicals should be made easily accessible and affordable to farmers.

     

    • Mukhtar Jarmajo, Abuja.

  • Bauchi governor shops for deputy

    Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar is shopping for a deputy governor to replace Nuhu Gidado, who resigned last Wednesday.

    His Press Secretary, Abubakar Sadique, who confirmed this in a statement at the weekend, said: “Governor Mohammed Abubakar will start selecting a new deputy governor to fill the vacuum created following the resignation of Engineer Nuhu Gidado as deputy governor.”

    But a source in the Government House said “the process of selecting a deputy governor was completed long before Gidado resigned”.

    “Gidado could no longer withstand the unhealthy smoke in the kitchen and that is why he resigned as a honest man.

    “Politically, Gidado is matured to lead Bauchi because he understands the state well enough. But his principal was a character he could not cope with till their four-year tenure elapsed.”

    Though the source declined to name likely successors, he said “one of the persons could come from the Government House, another from the party and one from the civil service. But from typical Katagum.”

    The source added that “a deputy governor is most likely to be presented to the House of Assembly before end of Ramadan for confirmation.”

  • Buhari, governors meet in Aso Rock 

    Buhari, governors meet in Aso Rock 

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met behind closed doors with some state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The governors, who met with the President after the Friday jumaat prayer, were from the north.

    They included Nasarawa Governor, Tanko Almakura, Kaduna Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, Bauchi Governor, Mohammed Abubakar and Yobe Governor, Ibrahim Geidam.

    The governors left the Villa from the President’s official resident.

  • FG to pay N2 billion Ecological fund each to 19 states, FCT

    FG to pay N2 billion Ecological fund each to 19 states, FCT

    …NEC to review Land Use Act

     

    The National Economic Council (NEC) next month may approve payment of N2 billion each from the Ecological Funds to 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the NEC meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, said that the disbursement is part of recommendations of his committee’s interim report submitted to NEC on Thursday.

    Stressing that the recommendation was to ensure fairness to states that were not given anything when former President Goodluck Jonathan shared N2 billion each to People’s Democratic Party (PDP) controlled states from the Ecological Funds.

    According to him, his 11-man committee, which comprised of governors, Minister of Finance and some permanent secretaries, will submit the final report during NEC meeting in June, where NEC will decide on the recommendation.

    The committee, he said, was asked to look at the operations and management of the one per cent which the Federal Government shares.

    He said “The committee established beyond all doubts that in 2013, the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan gave N2 billion to certain states of the federation but excluded other states.

    “The states that got it were all PDP states and states of other parties that were sympathetic to the PDP like Labour Party in Ondo and APGA in Anambra State. 19 states and the FCT did not get the N2 billion from the Ecological Fund.

    “These states are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Kwara and Lagos.

    “Others are Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory

    “So essentially what President Goodluck Jonathan did was to take N2 billion each from the Ecological fund and give to some PDP states. Any PDP state that was not his friend like Kano and Kwara didn’t get. And all the other opposition party, like no ACN state got anything, no ANPP state got anything.

    “This, the committee of the council consider discriminatory and recommended that the 19 states and the FCT that did not get the N2 billion in 2013 be given N2 billion each to level the playing field.

    “Thereafter very clear criteria for accessing the fund will be recommended to the council for the consideration of the federal government,” he said.

    According to him, there is a Presidential directive that the Ecological Fund office must maintain a balance of N20 billion out of the present N33.6 billion in the Ecological Fund.

    This, he said, is to cater for any emergency or any natural disaster requiring intervention.

    From the total money in the fund, he said that the balance of about N13 billion will be available for distribution to the states that were discriminated against.

    “As I said, 19 states and the FCT making it 20, so it isn’t enough to give them N2 billion each.” he added

    He went on “So what we did was to give an interim report on how the entire ecological fund has been utilized from May 2010 till date. And we realize that a lot of the deployment of the funds was based on discretion of the President and there is need to establish very clear criteria for the use of the 65 per cent of the federal government share among the states of the federation.

    “But the committee recommended to make partial payment to these states that were discriminated against by President Jonathan. Council defied decision on that until we submit out final report which will be submitted to NEC in the meeting of June.

    “The council appreciated the enormous work the committee did and particularly appreciated the permanent secretary of the Ecological Fund office for providing detailed information about the operations of the Fund.” he stated

    He pointed out that the N2 billion each given to the states by the former President was purely on discretionary basis and not on any identified Ecological problem or any project request.

    According to him, it was given to favoured states not based on criteria or any request based on emergency.

    “It was just a handout to favoured states and other states that were not so favoured were discriminated against.

    “So our committee recommended that to level the playing field every state be treated equally, the federal government should give those states that did not get.

    “My state got because my state was governed by the PDP and was very friendly with Jonathan. In my state the amount was used to do some Ecological projects but in some states the money simply vanished. But in my state, it didn’t vanish. The projects were done, we are looking into those projects because the prices did not look right, the quality in one or two cases is not the best but some projects were done.

    “So we are saying in fairness the other states that did not get this N2 billion on discretionary basis should be done. This is why President Buhari is here to right the wrongs of the past,” he said.

    Bauchi Governor, Mohammed Abubakar said that the Council received the report of an Ad-Hoc committee set up by NEC to study the report of the Presidential Technical Committee of the Land Use Act regulations.

    He said “The presidential committee submitted its report on 26th of September last year. As a result of that the Nigeria Governors Forum set up its own committee comprising Surveyor General of the states of the federation of Nigeria to study that report of the presidential technical committee and come up with recommendations.

    “So when NEC received the report of the committee, an adhoc committee of six was set up with myself as chairman to study both the report of the technical committee and report of the Forum of Surveyor general of the federation and then compare the two reports and make recommendations to council.

    “The reason for setting up the technical committee at the onset was because of the encumbrances being faced in the interpretations given in the Land use Act over time from the time of promulgation in 1978 to date.

    “So the adhoc committee studied the two reports and made recommendations to council.

    “The main basis of the recommendation was the observance of true federalism. You know despite the various interpretations and comments made about the Land Use Act as a unitary law, actually the Land Use Act for the first time is one Act of the federal government that has made a categorical statement with respect to federalism by conferring control over land in the governors of the states and not a unitary system where the federal government will now control land. So this was what the adhoc committee had in mind when it was making its recommendations along with the presidential committee.

    “So at the end of the day all the recommendations that tended to temper with the powers of the governors over control of lands in the state were expunged from the report of the presidential technical committee.

    “Council finally received the report of the adhoc committee favourablly, in fact Council gave another assignment to that ad committee with a view to looking at areas of conflict in the Land Use Act and the minerals Act. There are situations whereby companies will come to Abuja to the Mining Casdastal and obtain license to prospect for minerals in the state. And the go and immediately commence prospecting without minding the fact that it been granted to some other people by governors who have control over land with certificates of occupancy. So this led to a lot of conflicts. So council has extended the life of this adhoc committee to look into this with a view to making recommendations.

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha said that the Council also reviewed many money issues as it affects the nation.

    He said “We were made to understand from the office of the Accountant General that the excess crude account as at May 24th stands at $2.3 billion. Council also reviewed the discrepancies in figures and we have said that the Accountant General will go to look at it and at the next meeting he will brief the council appropriately.

    “As regards the loan support what is called the budget support facility for states which is suppose to come to an end by the end of this month, council was concerned about the fact that we are gradually coming out of recession and if this budgetary support ceases at the end of May, it might create some lapses in our bid to stabilize the economy. So council resolved that the budgetary support be extended to enable states catch up with the economy challenges of the moment.

    “The good news is that we have been reliably informed that crude production at Forcados terminal will soon commence and this will in any small way help the  economy and the stabilization of the economy and for us to get out of recession as quickly as possible.

    “But the highlight of the whole discussion today’s was a special commendation that the Council made on the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who we have all resolved to call a systems stabilizer given the fact that Mr. President is on medical vacation, the system is still as smooth as it has always been. So, we commended the Acting President for a job well done.”

    He maintained that the Paris Club refund was not a free money, but money owed state governments.

     

  • Nigeria will not develop amidst insecurity – Bauchi governor

    Nigeria will not develop amidst insecurity – Bauchi governor

    Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has warned that Nigeria will never witness any significant development amidst insecurity and violence.

    Yuguda gave the warning while answering questions from journalists during a one day visit to Yola on Friday.

    “Those that are creating the insecurity problems in the country should appreciate the fact that with more insecurity, we will never experience any meaningful progress.

    “We can never secure jobs amidst crisis and if you don’t have jobs, you should not expect peace and development,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Yuguda as saying during the visit.

    He identified unemployment rate, especially among the youths in the country, as factor responsible for poverty and security challenges facing the country.

    According to him, the way out of present security challenges in the country is to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths that are roaming the streets.

    Yuguda called the attention of Nigerians to the fact that any country that lack peace cannot attract foreign investors to that country.