The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mohammed abubakar

  • Abubakar: no friction between Speaker and me

    Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar spoke on his achievements and partisan issues on a live Television Continental (TVC) programme, anchored by SAM OMATSEYE, Chairman of The Nation’s Editorial Board.

    How would you assess your threeand half years as governor of Bauchi State? How would you assess your stewardship so far?

    I think I’ll say, so far so good. But, that is not to say it has been a bed of roses. I knew outrightly  that it wasn’t going to be easy. The state in which we found the state when we took over gave us a lot of concern. But, the aim right from the beginning to go in there and try to rescue the state and bring it out of the doldrums. So, I must say, so far so good, we started with the civil service, which is the bedrock. No matter what kind of ideas you have, developmental ideas as a governor, if the civil service is not fine-tuned towards seeing to the actualisation of your ideas, you will be a non-starter. When we took over, the civil service was in tatters. We had a total of 60 permanent secretaries in a small state like Bauchi. We had 26 ministries in a state where you have 20 local governments.

    And what of the staff strength?

    Over 105, 000. That is what we are said to have inherited. So, we started with rejigging the civil service through the help of a consultant that we engaged, headed by a secretary to the government of the state, former Bauchi State, when it had Gombe with it. And they took time, went through and gave us advice. We adopted a policy that was adopted once by the federal government, the tenure system for the permanent secretaries and directors. And this was because I didn’t want to by the stroke of the pen, relieve people of their employment, no matter what. So, I used the system of tenure to get quite a number of the permanent secretaries to take early retirement and quite a number of the directors. And within a short period of time, we were able to fine-tune the civil service. In addition to that, we struggled to ensure that the lack of payment of salaries was history. When we took over, we took over when civil servants were being owed four months’ salaries. They were in fact on strike. I called them back with a promise that I was going to address that issue. And with the help of Mr President, the now famous or infamous bailout was given and we made sure we utilised every kobo of the bailout towards payment of salaries. That has stabilised because if you consider today, the last Federation Account meeting was inconclusive. Many states have not been able to pay salaries but Bauchi State, we have since paid salaries. So, we have made the payment of salaries a non-issue. It’s a routine that come the end of the month, we do it. So, we took care of the civil service and thereafter, we now started addressing sectors. And with the help of the World Bank, we are able to now encourage teachers. When we post you to the rural areas, you have a special allowance. So, the key areas of STEM subjects, we have now been encouraging people to go to the rural areas to teach them because they now know they are going to be paid special allowances. We also addressed the issue of school-based management committees. These are key because they operate to ensure that the schools are run properly. They take care of the welfare of the teachers. They take care of even the buildings and equipment. In the past, nobody cared. You build a school, you equip a school and then overnight, somebody would come, turn a truck round and cart away everything. Nobody would care because they thought it was government property, not their own. But with the rejigging of the school-based management committees, that is a thing of the past. We have engendered a feeling of ownership in the school-based management committee. And they are assisting with the assistance of UNESCO. We have started a system of deploying technology in order to educate the out-of-school children. A lot of talk is being heard about the out-of-school children and particularly the girl-child. And a good percentage of that is found in the northeastern sub-region and in Bauchi State. So, for that reason, we have made it a point to try and get these people back, not necessarily to formal schools because some of them have past it. But we can educate them via the use of technology. Tablets have been developed for Bauchi State abiding by the curriculum of the government. And we have deployed so far, 5, 000 of those Tablets around the state. And we are continuing. It’s a continuous process. We have had the Boko Haram problem in the northeastern sub-region. And I’ve always said it, whoever wants to hear that the key factors that led to Boko Haram are first and foremost, lack of education and secondly, poverty. And unless we address these issues, there is no way we can put a stop to issues like Boko Haram. We may be able to rout Boko Haram but another crazy person may come out with another crazy idea, call it a different name and then you’ll have this army of unemployed youths to recruit to his crazy ideas. So, I said, what we need to do is identify for ourselves as a state, areas of comparative advantage that we will pursue. And for Bauchi State, we decided to pick three areas. One, agriculture. Agriculture, for the simple reason that Bauchi State occupies is one-fifth of the total landmass Nigeria. So, we have ample arable land that is lying fallow. We have ample irrigable land that is lying fallow, plus the fact that 80 to 85% of our people are engaged in one form of agriculture or the other. So, we have to find a way of turning agriculture into a business for both this 80% and then for the state. For the 80%, we discovered that agriculture is being practiced the same way we have inherited it from our fore-fathers. And that way, agriculture would remain subsistence. You will only grow what you need to sustain you and in most cases, it doesn’t even sustain you up to the end of the year. So, there has to be a way out of this. And the way out is by mechanising agriculture and by deploying technology to agriculture. I have visited the Kingdom of Morocco on the invitation of a company called OCP Africa. OCP Africa is the largest phosphate producer in the world. And therefore, the largest phospate-based fertiliser producer in the world. So, what I did when I went to see them was to call on them to come and look at our fertiliser blending plant. We have a fertiliser blending plant in Bauchi State, look at it with a view to expanding it and modernising it. And two, to assist us by deploying technology to farming. I have started a programme called Agric Entrepreneurship programme. In this programme, at the initial stage, we have signed on to bring in 500 tractors. These 500 tractors, if you take account from the time Bauchi State was created in 1976 to date, succeeding governments have not acquired up to 500 tractors. But at one go, we are introducing 500 tractors. Already, on signing of the agreement, we took delivery of 140 of these tractors and delivery is continuing.

    You’re going to get them in phases

    Yes, in phases because they’re being manufactured in Europe. And when they manufacture them, they transport them in containers and brought to Bauchi directly where they would now be offloaded and coupled.

    I want us to go back to the beginning. You inherited a mess, you said. I also learnt that the finances were really poor. That’s why they couldn’t pay salaries and so on. I understand it also created some political problems as well. Can you go through that because when you were governor-elect, your political associates, those in national assembly wanted something from you and without knowing what was in the coffers, you made some promises. And then when it came down to brass tacks, it became impossible. Can you talk to that?

    Well, to begin with, I did not make any promises. People alleged that I made promises. I never promised what I could not have. Without delving into the finances of government at that time, there was no way I could have made any promises to anybody. But it is true that the situation we found was very very bad. And with the alleged 105, 000 staff we have inherited, that has translated from the onset to a salary bill of N5.1bn and growing. And it’s a matter of common knowledge. When anybody wants, they can go to the website of the federal ministry of finance, they can download the result of the FAC that we have had from June 2015 to date for them to determine for themselves how much Bauchi State government has been taking. You would now see clearly that the few months where Bauchi State got anything above the N5.1bn needed to pay salaries could be counted on the tips of your fingers. So, there was a falling out which is normal in politics between myself and some of the members of the National Assembly.

    Principally the Speaker

    Principally the Speaker. Yes. But you know the way of politics and the fact that I am the leader of the party in the state. I bear the brunt. When it is good, probably it is me that would enjoy it. When it’s bad, it’s me that would bear the brunt. I have made forays. I have ran from pillar to post, trying to engender peace in the party. And I thank God as things stand now. When we started initially, only three out of the 12 members of the House of Representatives were with me. Today, only three are not with me.

    Was there a process of reconciliation or it happened by attrition?

    No, it was reconciliation on my part. I have done everything under the sun to reconcile. Like I said, the buck stops on my table in Bauchi State. So, I needed to bring everything on stream to ensure that my party is operating on solid ground.

    What’s your relationship now with the Speaker?

    The Speaker is a son of Bauchi State and he’s also the number four citizen in Nigeria. We accord him that respect.

    Yes, but you’ve not answered my question. What’s the relationship now? Are you guy just cordial or you’re just correct?

    We’re cordial. When he sees me, he calls me his elder brother. A recent picture of us at the Supreme Court would tend to show that we’re cordial.

    Now, the other issue that came up in the press recently was the resignation of your deputy. Some people said was there some tension. And the impression you gave was that there was no tension. The man just wanted to move on to bigger things, whatever that bigger things was. But some people, Green Party of Nigeria, came out with a press release and said that you didn’t give him free hand to operate, that’s why he left.

    You see, political parties would always make such comments. But the most important thing is, the most beautiful system of government is the constitution democracy, especially the type with a written constitution like our own. All the parameters are defined by the constitution. The roles and functions of every public office is defined in the constitution. So, the issue of not giving anybody free hand to operate is a non-issue whatever. My deputy at the onset was the commissioner of education. Education is the largest and the most critical part of the administration to which we have been giving the largest share of the budget from inception till date.

    It’s given like 16 per cent.

    Yes, 20 %. It is health that has been given 16 per cent. The Abuja declaration is 15%. So, I’ve been giving over and above Abuja Declaration. So, he headed the ministry of education until when I reshuffled the cabinet. And he’s an engineer and I thought with the giant strides we are making infrastructural development, we opened up a lot of construction all over the state, both in urban and in rural areas. I needed somebody to oversee that ministry. So, I transferred him to the ministry of works. So, the issue of anything to do with tension or not giving him a free hand to operate is not true. My deputy as he would attest or as he has attested to himself was about the most pampered of the deputies in Nigeria. He said so himself. And if you saw the letter he wrote.

    He didn’t accuse you of anything in the letter

    (In) the final paragraph, he said he was going to remain loyal to his leader and his elder brother. And you know, from that time till now, we have been interacting. He has been sending me messages whenever there was any development in the state, positive or otherwise. And I have assured him that he has a space in the government of this state.

    People are still baffled why he resigned

    I think that question is best answered by him.

    Is it health problems or family issues?

    I wouldn’t want to venture. I think since he is alive, I think he is the best person to answer this question.

    An issue that bothers me is the issue of the girl-child. And we have read about your intervention a couple of times about this issue of girl-child. You even spoke about it, not just with regards to Bauchi State but about the north. There was a statistic that came out and said that of all the countries in the world, Nigeria is the highest in out-of-school children and that a great percentage of them were from the north. And the issue of girl-child and Almajiri, it must be a very serious issue to handle. You cannot tackle all of these in eight years because it’s a multi-generational issue. What specifically have you done with regards to girl-child because it doesn’t have to do with just building schools?

    Well, it is true that this is an issue that bothers the government of Bauchi State particularly. And when we took over, we inherited a programme that was being driven by the World Bank with counterpart from the states called the Conditional Cash Transfer.

     

  • 2019: Defections won’t affect APC, Says Bauchi Governor

    The Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar on Wednesday said that the series of defections from the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not affect the fortune of the ruling party in the 2019 election.

    Among the recent defections were two Senators from Bauchi State, including Senators Sulaiman Mohammed Nazif and Isa Misau that defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Abubakar, spoke with State House correspondents after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He explained that the result recorded during the election in the congresses conducted in the various states was an indication that the APC would not suffer defeat in the forthcoming general election.

    He said “I don’t want to boast but you know election is local, some people want to come to Abuja and play to the gallery, I am talking about the defectors. My answer is the congresses in Bauchi state along with other states in the APC and in many states that parallel congresses were conducted, because some members of the party were in opposition to the governors who were strong enough this parallel congresses, in Bauchi state, there was no single parallel congress that was conducted.

    “Secondly the August 11 election took place, the APC won resoundingly. Let me tell you that all of those people who decamped including these two senators rallied round and spent a lot of money in order to defeat the APC in the election but the results like I said is out in the public and we have won resoundingly, so I am sure the result of 2919 elections are not going to be any different”, he added.

    Abubakar also said that he was in the Villa to brief the President on the recent senatorial by-election conducted in his state.

    He said, “This is the first opportunity I have had since the election of 11th August to brief Mr. President because when the election took place, the President was away on short leave abroad and I just came in today to brief him adequately about what transpired in Bauchi.

    “The results are out in the public and the APC won resoundingly in the election and I have told him that we have learnt a lot of lessons from the the election. For example, close to 200,000 votes were cancelled. This is an eye opener for us that we have to work very very hard and train agents very well to be able to safeguard this kind of situation” Abubakar said.

  • Nude photos: Abubakar debunks lawmaker’s allegation

    Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar has dismissed a claim by a member of the state House of Assembly, Maryam Begal that he intends to blackmail her by exposing her nude photographs.

    Begal, who contested the Bauchi South District Senatorial bye-election, allegedly claimed that Abubakar was behind those intent on “humiliating” her by portraying her as “immoral”.

    Read Also:Remove my nude pictures or face the wrath-Tiger Woods

    She allegedly claimed that the governor’s agents were in possession of her nude photographs which were superimposed onto other pornographic images.

    Begal was said to have claimed that an envelope filled with copies of the photo-shopped nude pictures was delivered to her, followed by a phone call and warning to “desist” from being “antagonistic” to the Abubakar administration else the images would be made public.

    But, the governor, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Ali M. Ali, described Begal’s allegations “fantastic claims”.

    It reads: “We found this amusing. At no point did Bagel constitute a ‘threat’ or even a ‘nuisance’ to the government of MA Abubakar to the extent that it will resort to this reprehensible measure.

    “The governor has a cast iron reputation of moral uprightness. His moral credentials are beyond reproach.  It is, therefore, inconceivable that he will encourage let alone sponsor such desperate measure.

    “He has repeatedly and publicly stated that he bears no ill-will or malice against anyone especially antagonistic elements. The upliftment   and progress of Bauchi State is his main focus.

    “The frolics of a desperate attention seeker will not distract him from his grim determination to change the depressing narrative of our state. The governor is currently on hajj and is praying for the development of the state and nation in general.

    “We strongly suspect that Bagel is resorting to this hallucinatory measure to deal with her electoral humiliation in the recent Senatorial bye-election in Bauchi South District. She is looking for a fall guy.

    “The media should be weary of sensational claims of desperate politicians as we approach elections.”

     

  • Dogara weighs options as PDP awaits Speaker’s defection

    Moves by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara to defect from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appear to be hanging in the balance.

    The Speaker, who has been having a running supremacy battle with the governor of his home state, Bauchi, Mohammed Abubakar is presently walking a tight rope.

    Having been allegedly squeezed out of the scheme of things by Governor Abubakar, it has become increasingly difficult for Dogara to gain control of politics back home.

    The Speaker’s utterances and body language in recent times tend to suggest a slant towards the PDP, had boycotted the recent state and local government congresses in Buachi State.

    Strategic and key political positions in his Bogoro constituency had since been filled with loyalists of the governor thereby leaving the Speaker in the lurch.

    Dogara, who was initially rumoured to have resolved to defect about the same time the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki defected from the APC to the PDP about two weeks ago, was forced to put his plans on hold.

    Following the defection of 37 members on the floor of the House in July, the numerical strengths of the various political parties were altered.

    At present, the APC still holds a majority of 192 members; closely followed by the PDP with 156. APGA -five; ADC -four; Accord Party -one; SDP -one; and one vacant seat.

    As it were, it would require a two-thirds majority of 240 members to remove Dogara should he defect to the PDP with 156-member strength.

    Put together, the number of APC members, joined with other parties stood at 204 against PDP’s 156 members. This still leaves a gap of 36 members to attain the 240-member two-thirds requirement.

    It can be taken for granted that none of the 156 PDP members would vote in favour of Dogara’s removal in event of his defection to the main opposition party.

    It is also doubtful where the 11 members that make up APGA, ADC, Accord Party and the SDP would swing when the chips are down.

    Apparently, the horse trading that led to the recent defection of 37 members, mostly from the APC, was meant to weaken the numerical strength of the ruling party in the House.

    With recent developments in the National Assembly, particularly last Tuesday’s botched attempt, allegedly by the APC senators to impeach Saraki, the coast appears clear for Dogara to make good his threat any time soon.

    Dogara may ride on the crest of the global uproar and condemnation that greeted the alleged attempt to impeach Saraki with the invasion of armed and hooded operatives of the  Department of State Security (DSS).

    Turaki Hassan, the Media Adviser to Dogara,tactically avoided questions as to when his principal intends to announce his defection from the APC to the PDP.

    Read Also: Saraki, Dogara blame failed meeting on invasion

    Inquiries by our correspondent on Friday through telephone calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages were ignored by the media aide.

    However, a member, who preferred not to be named, told our correspondent that the Speaker’s defection was only a matter of days.

    The member from one of the states in the Southeast geopolitical zone, said it would be political suicidal for Dogara to remain in the APC.

    He accused the leadership of the APC of deliberately abandoning the Speaker and watched as the Bauchi Sate Governor virtually ran him out of relevance in the state.

    “It would be unwise for the Speaker to remain in the APC because doing so would truncate his political career, a least in the next political dispensation.

    “How on earth would the leadership of a ruling party conspire with a state governor to ridicule the country’s Number Four citizen, more so a prominent member of their party.

    “All along, the leadership of the APC, instead of finding ways of reconciling the Speaker with the Bauchi Governor, chose to play the ostrich, burying their heads in the sand”, the Rep member said.

    The lawmaker, who is a member of one of the smaller minority parties in the House declared that the APC cannot muster the required 240-member two-thirds required to remove Dogara whenever he switched political camps.

    He said, “The threat by some people that the Speaker would be impeached if he defects to the PDP is an empty one. Don’t forget that a precedence was set in 2014 when the then Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal defected from the PDP to the APC and still retained his seat.

    “Ironically, the same people and their political party who hailed Tambuwal and called the bluff of the PDP, are the same set of people are today threatening Dogara with hell fire.

    “So, if precedence is anything to go by, then a sauce for the goose should as well be a sauce for the gander. They are now confronted with their past and they cannot run away from it”.

    Meanwhile, as the various political parties gear up preparations for nominations into the various elective offices ahead of the 2019 general elections, time appears to be running out on intending defectors of all categories.

    Going by the timeline in the electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties are to conclude their nominations into the various elective positions from August 18 to October 7.

    Apparently to beat the INEC timetable and to accommodate prospective defectors, the leadership of the PDP had deliberately relaxed its guidelines regarding the time frame allowed for new members to contest elective positions in the general elections.

    The opposition party, in anticipation of high profile defectors into its fold, had scaled down the deadline from 180 days to 30 days. Even at that, the party has also made provisions for waivers to allow members contest elections in less than 30 days of joining the party.

    Expectations of the Speaker’s imminent defection has reached a feverish pitch at the national headquarters of the PDP, even though none of its top officials was ready to comment on the matter.

    Speaking further, the lawmaker jokingly said, “The transfer widow in the Nigerian political league season is gradually drawing to a close and every player, including Dogara is fully aware of this fact. He is only tidying up the loose ends.

    “He may be worried about other consequences of his eventual defection or a backlash from the APC. But certainly not about the security of his position of as Speaker.

    “Let me make it clear to you that any call for Dogara’s impeachment after his defection would be overwhelmingly defeated because a good number of members among our colleagues in the APC will vote against it”.

    Dogara was one of the prominent members of the nPDP that defected from the then ruling PDP to the APC in the run up to the 2015 general elections.

    However, members of the group had continued to bemoan their fate shortly after the APC secured a resounding victory in the 2015 poll at different levels.

    The members had complained about being marginalised in the sharing of political offices across the board, culminating in the recent defection of a number of senators and House members from the APC to the PDP and other smaller parties.

  • Those resigning from my govt. don’t want change – Bauchi Gov.

    Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, on Friday said that those resigning from office under his administration don’t want to embrace change.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He also said that there was nothing wrong between him and his deputy that resigned from office.

    He said “What transpired is in the letter of the deputy and I think people should read that letter. Read the entire letter and you will see that there was nothing bad that transpired between us.

    “His final paragraph is that he remains loyal to his leader and his brother. In my response I eulogized him and wished him the best in his future endeavour and assured him of the support of the good people of Bauchi State. There was no problem whatsoever.”

    On why it was easy for him to accept his resignation, he said “The word resignation connotes a will on the part of the person who has offered, he offered his letter willingly and there is no way you can force him to accept an employment when the time has come for him to look elsewhere.

    Read Also: Bauchi gets new judge

    Speaking on the working relationship between them, he said “We had the most fantastic working relationship. In his words and you can ask him, he has said several times that he is the most pampered deputy governor in Nigeria.

    On why other officials are leaving his government, he said “Because I have come to Bauchi state to endanger change and change is very very difficult for people to accept.

    “People are used to a certain way of doing business and I have come to change that way of doing business. Because, that way was destroying Bauchi State. So, we had to put a stop to it, we had to bring Bauchi state out of dungeon. I give people a chance and if you think you can go at my pace you stay and if you can’t go at my pace you resign.”

    When asked if his deputy resigned because he couldn’t go at his pace, he said “I don’t know.”

    Reminded that the spokesman to the deputy governor said on television that he resigned because he was not being treated as part of the government, Bauchi Governor said “I see. I think he is wrong. Go to the House of Assembly and check, I went on official leave twice since I took over and each time I transmitted a letter to the House of Assembly making him the acting governor of Bauchi.

    “Moreover, I gave him the most important ministry, ministry of education where I have been allocating the largest share of the budget of Bauchi state since 2008. That should answer your question.” he said

  • Abubakar commends Arik Air for extending flight operations to Bauchi

    Bauchi State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, has commended Arik Air for extending its flight operations to the state.

    Abubakar made the commendation on Wednesday after Arik Air’s inaugural flight from Lagos to Bauchi via Abuja.

    The News men reports that the airline’s CRJ Bombardier aircraft landed at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport at 11.35am and was received by top aviation officials.

    The governor noted that the coming of Arik Air would boost the tourism potential of Bauchi, which is home to one of Nigeria’s foremost resorts, the Yankari Games Reserve.

    He said: “It is a fantastic development as far as we are concerned.

    “There is no way you can be able to develop tourism without having steady flights into the state, and tourism is one of the three major areas of our comparative advantage that we have chosen for ourselves as a government.

    “So, it is a step in the right direction and we assure Arik that we will collaborate with the airline to ensure that the route is sustained.”

    Abubakar said apart from tourism, his administration was also focusing on agriculture and mining in order to create employment opportunities for the teeming youths of the state.

    Read Also: Abubakar: tourists’ safety guaranteed in Bauchi

    Earlier, Mr Hamzat Bukar, Associate Vice-President, Abuja and Regional Domestic (North) of Arik Air, described Bauchi as the ‘Pearl of Tourism’ in Nigeria.

    According to him, the airline will be operating three weekly flights from Abuja to Bauchi, with connections to and from Lagos on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

    Bukar said: “We are partnering with Bauchi State to improve its tourism potential. You cannot achieve tourism anywhere without airlines, and that is why we are working with the government.

    “Arik Air has always been at the forefront of the development of aviation and tourism in Nigeria.

    “We are committed to the opening up of the country to commerce and industry through air connectivity.

    “Our plan is to connect all viable airports in Nigeria, so as to expand the frontiers of commerce and grow the economy.”

    NAN

     

     

  • Abubakar calls for cultural, religious considerations

    Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State has called for considerations of cultural and religious beliefs in designing mass housing for intended beneficiaries across the country.

    Abubakar made the call on Wednesday in Bauchi when the Minister of State, Power, Works and Housing, Alhaji Mustapha Shehuri visited him.

    He said the call was to ensure acceptability of the project by all Nigerians, adding that housing design should be done to suit the lifestyle of the beneficiaries on the basis of their religious and cultural beliefs.

    Gov. Abubakar said that the state government had undertaken several federal projects including reinforcement of a bridge in Zaki Local Government and road interventions in the state.

    He commended the minister for the visit, while pledging the support of the Bauchi State Government to the various programmes of the Federal Government in the state.

    Abubakar said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration had impacted positively on the lives of Nigerians through various programmes since its inception in 2015.

    He noted that the exit of Nigeria from economic recession after two years, in spite of the fallen crude oil prices, was a manifestation of excellent performance of the present administration.

    Read Also: Bauchi cannot pay N66,500 minimum wage – Abubakar

    According to him, experience has shown that most countries in recession spent decades struggling to get out of it.

    He said the various interventions of the Federal Government, Sukuk initiative, school feeding programme, conditional cash transfer and N-power were already yielding positive results.

    Abubakar, therefore, urged Nigerians to support the government in its efforts at consolidating on its achievements for the well-being of the citizenry.

    Earlier, Shehuri said that he was in the state to inspect ongoing Federal Government projects.

    He commended the governor and the people of Bauchi for supporting the Federal Government by ensuring success of its projects in the state.

    The minister said that the Federal Government had introduced various initiatives to fund its projects outside the budget, adding that efforts were being made to boost power supply in the state.

    NAN

  • Bauchi cannot pay N66,500 minimum wage – Abubakar

    Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar on Tuesday declared that the state will not afford to pay the proposed monthly minimum wage of sixty-six thousand and five hundred Naira (N66, 500) to its workers.

    But was quick to add “unless the federal allocation to state increases, as demanded by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on behalf of the state workers.

    Abubakar disclosed this at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi where workers from all segments of the economy in the state gathered to mark the 2018 Workers’ Day, a global event celebrated yearly.

    Abubakar, who has in the past two workers Day identified with the state workforce and others informed that the state generates little revenue noted that “unless there is an upward review of the monthly allocation from the Federal Government Bauchi State cannot meet the demand for an increase of salary of workers”.

    And appealed to NLC to call for the upward review of monthly allocation, not only to Bauchi State alone, but to all states of the federation.

    “In everything we do, let us face reality, the salary bill of Bauchi state currently is about N5.2 billion for Local government, teachers and civil servants and it is growing”.

    “We go to Abuja, we get at most N 8 billion monthly and, by the time we take N5.2billion,salary,not much is left to take care of other things like feeding of school children, pumping of water, payment of power supplied, construction of roads, the running of hospitals, and others”

    Adding he said “if you think the resources of Bauchi State government will be able to pay N66,500 per month, so be it. If you take your calculator and you do the calculations and you think the resources of Bauchi state government cannot pay this minimum wage, then we need your help”

    If it is health, it is state and local government agriculture; it is state and local government. So for God’s sake, the time has come for you to start agitating for a review of revenue allocation to the state that is the only way that States can be able to pay this minimum wage.

    “Please, workers of Bauchi State, assist us agitate for a review of the revenue allocation.”

    But was not happy that three years into the life of his regime, NLC has not too given him accurate figure of pension and gratuity figures which was N15.5billiom and just when he was about paying, another bill of M26.3billiom was also brought to him for payment.

    According to him, unless the Labour corrects figure I cannot can begin to pay. Just as he added that at least one civil servant retires Dalit from the service thereby increasing the number of pensioners, while the bill remain unpaid the state government’s embargo on employment.

    Earlier, the Bauchi state Chair, NLC, Hashimu Gital had said “civil servants in the state have being enjoying cordial relationship with the government.

    He also appealed to workers to ensure they cooperate and support the government by adding value to the system.

  • Buhari vists Bauchi on Thursday

    President Muhammadu Buhari is expected in Bauchi on Thursday, to commission five hundred tractors meant for Bauchi farmers.

    He is also expected to commission some roads constructed by the Mohammed Abubakar led All Progressive Congress Government in the state.

    Bauchi state Commissioner for Information Mr. Umar Ibrahim Sade announced  on Tuesday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists secretariat, Bauchi while briefing reporters on the Presidential visit.

    He explained that each benefitting farmer will pay 10 percent down payment of N15 million, which is the cost of each Tractor.

    Some of the roads to be inaugurated are located within Bauchi metropolis, while some are located at Azare and Misau local government councils of the state

    The would be the first time President Buhari would be visiting Bauchi, a place he regards as his second home, since his election  in 2015.

  • Buhari returns to Abuja, attends in-law’s wedding

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday returned to Abuja after a 2-day working visit to Lagos state where he inaugurated some projects and also attended the 10th Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Colloquium.

    On his return, Buhari went straight to the National Mosque Abuja where he performed the 2-Raka’at Juma’at prayer.

    The President also witnessed the wedding fatiha of Hamza Ahmed and Hadiza Jika which was performed immediately after the prayer session at the mosque.

    Read also: Buhari, Abdulsalami, govs, others grace Dangote’s daughter’s wedding

    The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, Governors of Nasarawa and Bauchi States, Alhaji Tanko Almakura and Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar respectively were among the dignitaries that witnessed the event.

    Other personalities at the wedding were the National Security Adviser to the President, retired Maj-Gen. Babagana Mongonu, cabinet ministers and former National Chairman of PDP, Ahmodu Ali.

    The groom, Hamza Ahmed, is a junior brother to Aisha Buhari, the president wife.

    NAN