A loose canon in Bauchi governor’s office, by Kola Amzat
This writer is profoundly apologetic to the leadership of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), as well as 36 governors across the country ahead of acidic and unpleasant words that would be deployed to bring home the import of this Write-up to our numerous readers across the country, and perhaps, in the world over.
I assure that it’s never in my character to subject Nigeria leaders in whatever tier of government to scorn, derision and embarrassment particularly with deployment of foul languages, as I’m equally aspiring to be one, if he pleases Almighty God.
But, there comes a time when above position have to be completely jettisoned and the matter presented and addressed exactly the way it is, especially if the sovereignty of our dear nation and power & authority of the president is been unduly subjected to ridicule.
This is the case with Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed who for reasons best known to him has elected to be grinding axe with the president and has been in recent times, deploying every opportunity and platforms to get at the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as speaking ills of federal government avalanche of policies and programs.
Very recently, while flagging off the distribution of empowerment materials to selected beneficiaries in the state under the Kaura Economic Empowerment Program, which is the Bauchi state government’s version of the NSIP, Governor Bala Mohammed mischievously alleged that National Social Investment Program (NSIP) is not working in Bauchi State, even though he acknowledged that economic empowerment of the federal government is massive and far-reaching. He disturbingly asserted that the funds for the program are being diverted to private pockets.
Following his weighty and spurious allegations, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian and Disasters Management swiftly offered a very comprehensive rejoinder and significantly detailed various NSIP projects already implemented in Bauchi State and the position of the ministry technically and completely rendered the governor’s allegation very questionable, self-serving, and largely unappreciative of federal government gestures, as well as act of treachery towards the federal authority on account of the governor’s absolute lack of necessary details, as well as zero knowledge on how that federal ministry operates.
It equally portrayed the governor as someone who’s intentionally determined to rupture the unity and togetherness of the country by inciting the North against the administration of President Tinubu.
For the avoidance of doubt and in a bid to set the record straight, the ministry maintained that N1 trillion budgeted for the NSIP was not siphoned and described the allegations as unsubstantiated, manifestly false, and have absolutely no bearing to the realities on ground.
The ministry confirmed that significantly, in Bauchi State, there are 75,110 poor and vulnerable households in the National Social Registry, made up of 401,395 individuals, from which a total of 99,957 from all the 20 LGAs are in the National Beneficiary Register (NBR) currently receiving monthly payments up to date.
The ministry further provided illumination that the NSIP is jointly implemented by state government appointed officials and indigenes, including the head of the State NSIP implementation team or focal person directly appointed by the governor and that, all beneficiaries and participants are indigenes of the state and payments to them were effected through their individual accounts.
Consequent upon this revelation, the governor has since maintained a dignified and deafening silence after the substantial details provided by the relevant federal ministry.
Equally, a couple of days ago, the same governor was quoted to have said that the Tax Reforms Bills were packaged to strengthen the interests and favour a particular section of the country at the detriment of the north and consequently, threatened that the region would show President Bola Tinubu its true colour.
He went further that they will fight for it and that no policy should be imposed on the people because Nigeria does not operate an oligarchy system of government or a military rule.
He further submitted that the Bill is not a good policy for northern Nigeria, as according to him, they are not going to get money to pay workers’ salaries and to construct & rehabilitate roads. He threatened that the presidency and federal government must listen to region plights; otherwise, federal government is calling for anarchy.
What a damning, divisive, inflammatory, barbaric, despicable and tragic declaration from a state governor, who incidentally was a former minister of FCT, Abuja and more importantly, supposed to be an advocate of peace, orderliness and, importantly, UNITY of the country!
In all ramifications, his declaration is un-statesmanship, sectional, myopic and capable of inciting violence & wide scale anarchy particularly in the VOLATILE north.
I don’t have any iota of doubt in my mind and generality of well-meaning Nigerians too, and those who indeed believe in Project Nigeria that, Bala Mohammed wasn’t speaking on behalf of the North.
His declaration of imminent war on the federal government if the Bill comes to reality, don’t reflect and represent the collective interests of the North and therefore can never stand.
Rather than the governor spiritedly and studiously working in collaboration with the federal government to foster national unity, peaceful co-existence and cohesion, he’s reduced himself to an activist and ethnic jingoist who always take delight in antagonizing government policies & programs without any basis, as well as advocate of divided & fragmented Nigeria.
It’s important to stress to the governor that the path to nation building, cohesiveness and prosperity for all, lies in thoughtful & constructive engagement and mutual understanding and not in confrontation and unnecessary effrontery to superior authority.
As Tax Practitioner and Financial Consultant of long time standing, this writer is in a very vantage & privileged position to confirm that this is boldest and well- articulated fiscal initiative so far in our nation democratic governance, with significant capacity to correct the existing imbalance in tax revenue allocations amongst state across the federation, further strengthen & entrench progressive tax in the country, improve tremendously the tax revenue generation with very insignificant or no impact whatsoever on the revenues accruing to the poor & vulnerable, as well as hugely improve the tax administration and management in the country.
With all intents and purposes, no patriotic and genuine lover of Project Nigeria, who indeed has studiously and religiously dissected all the sections and subsections of the Tax Reform Bill would ever stand on the way of the transformational bill to come into law, particularly for its fairness, equity and its objectives to ensure justice to all stakeholders.
This writer therefore once again hereby PASSIONATELY APPEAL to the good people of northern Nigeria to discountenance in totality, the unfortunate positions of the likes of Governor Bala Mohammed, and even, a couple of days, negative comments on the bill from Kabir Yusuf, Kano state governor, and support and collaborate with the president & federal government with a view to ensuring that the Bill comes to manifestation.
Very instructively, it’s Governor Bala Mohammed that has been the rallying point of antagonism to Nyesom Wike, FCT Minister simply because the latter is a cabinet minister in the present federal cabinet.
He’s also the one rallying other governors in fanning embers of discord and animosity between Wike and Fubara, governor of Rivers State.
He’s the one who has been emboldening Simi Fubara to discountenance and draw curtains on the harmonious relationship that hitherto existed between the duo and forge forward with his government, as if he’s aware of the genesis of their political relationship.
On account of his selfish and primordial interests, he’s one of the very few that has been mischievously intervening in the governance of Rivers State under the guise of been Chairman, PDP governors’ Forum to cause confusion in the state.
Interestingly, these deliberate covert moves are aimed at getting at the president, as they all acknowledge Wike is one of the closest confidants of the president.
Finally, it’s important to emphasize to Governor Bala Mohammed and his ilk, that been a governor of an important and very historic state as Bauchi, has imposed on him greater responsibility of rising above regional sentiments, parochialism, and unnecessary ethnic syndrome.
Auspicious time is now for him to hug statesmanship.
His present antagonism of federal government policies and the president absolutely without any basis, would never cement his status as national figure and would continually question how he has ascended to exalted office of governor and federal minister.
Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)
Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,
09077509348.
