The Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has tagged President Bola Tinubu’s Sunday nationwide broadcast as an “empty statement,” claiming it worsened the hunger protest.
But the ruling All Progressives Congress rubbished the claim by Mohammed, who is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum.
Speaking shortly after an emergency security meeting at the Bauchi State Government House on Monday night, Mohammed said, “I am not the spokesman for the President but I certainly know that the speech of the President is very empty. It is rather escalating the whole situation.”
The President, in a broadcast on Sunday, appealed to the youth and the citizens to end the hunger protest, which began on August 1, explaining that his decisions to remove the fuel subsidy and float the naira were to save the nation’s economy from total collapse.
The President, during the broadcast, reeled out some of the programmes his administration had embarked upon, including the funds made available to governors to cushion the effect of the hardship.
However, the Bauchi State governor said the President should have listened to the state governors before the broadcast.
“He should have listened to us because we also listen to our local government chairmen. He speaks in a manner that does not show sympathy with the youth.
“We are with the protesters in Bauchi State, but, at the same time, we are not with them in terms of unleashing harm and destruction of lives and properties,” he said.
Mohammed explained that the Monday security meeting brought all the stakeholders together to discuss the issue of protest against bad governance, hunger, and anger in the country.
Mohammed acknowledged the widespread hunger, anger, and acute poverty affecting the country, stressing that the current situation demanded more than just words but concrete actions.
But disagreeing with him, the National Director of Publicity for the ruling APC, Bala Ibrahim, said, “What was he saying? Has the President not met with the governors, traditional rulers, emirs and leaders of sociocultural communities like the Arewa Consultative Forum several times, where he spoke in clear and unmistakable language that the time had come for the people to hold their governors accountable? A lot of money has been given to these governors but they have not been utilising them judiciously in a way and manner that will make development cascade down to the people.
“This means the governors have been the engine of corruption in the country and they have not been doing what is expected of them by way of giving the dividends of democracy to the people, thereby making the people point fingers at the President.
“At no time has the Federal Government given as much money to the state governments as being done under the present administration of Bola Tinubu. What are they doing with the money?”
“They should stop playing politics with poverty. Let them concentrate on the mandate and show proof that they are judiciously the resources given to them, not putting blame on the president every time.”