Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has defended his recent criticism of President Bola Tinubu regarding the #Endbadgovernance protest, asserting that it was meant to be constructive and offered in good faith.
He made this statement in Bauchi on Wednesday, just prior to the start of the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting.
“I spoke constructively as an opposition and somebody who means well for the president, the government and the people of Nigeria.
“I had not done it to cause any dis-affection or to insult anybody,” he said
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It will be recalled that the governor had criticized President Tinubu’s policies and programs, describing them as unfavorable to Nigerians. He also dismissed the president’s August 4 speech, which urged protesters to suspend their demonstrations and engage in dialogue, as “very empty.”
Several political figures in the state, including former House of Representatives Speaker Hon. Yakubu Dogara and current Senator Shehu Buba, have criticized the governor’s remarks.
Addressing the Council, Mohammed clarified that his criticism should not be viewed negatively but rather as a wake-up call for both the federal and state governments to address the concerns of citizens.
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“We have to listen when their cry is very loud on bad governance and areas of limitations and inadequacies, where the expectations of our people have not been met.
“We have scarce resources to manage and that is why I said we must use the little resources that we have, to do so much.
“Nobody cares, nobody will listen to you, when you begin to complain and blame our predecessors for the inadequacies,” he said
The governor argued that it is unjust to place all the blame for bad governance solely on the federal government, noting that state governments also share responsibility.
“We are not just blaming the federal government for everything.
“We (states) also have to look at ourselves, do a swift analysis on ourselves and make sure we do things that would put food on the table and make things easier.
“We know we are not in charge of national policies and programmes, but we must be able to implement national policies as a loyal federalist.
“We should, at the same time, look at our own challenges and make sure that we connect with the people,” he said.
Mr. Mohammed emphasized that his comments included governors as well, clarifying that his critique was not about partisan politics but about accountability.
He also expressed his gratitude to the council members for their ongoing support and sense of camaraderie throughout the years.
