By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
A Coalition of groups including Lawyers for the cause of Bauchi (LAWBA), Bauchi Gari Ya Waye Group and Bauchi State chapter of the Human Rights Community in Nigeria (HURICON) has raised alarm that as stakeholders in the Bauchi State Project, they are alarmed at how things are taking turns for the worst.
The Coalition while addressing what it termed ‘Mega’ Press Conference held at the NUJ Press Center on Friday stated that, “Since some stakeholders, leaders and senior citizens in our dear state notably, Senator Shehu Buba Umar from Bauchi South Senatorial District joined the debate about the state of affairs in Bauchi, things have escalated.”
The Coalition added that, “Particularly, the germane issues and questions he raised about how the Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed PDP-led administration has been handling the various financial and other material interventions, support packages and measures taken by the Federal Government aimed at ameliorating the suffering faced by the average, poor and other vulnerable groups in the state.”
According to the Coalition,”It is most unfortunate, condemnable and a clear abuse of power that rather than address the basic issues on the ground as highlighted by Senator Buba and other stakeholders like one of the groups participating in these mega joint press Conference, Bauchi State Government ended up proving the allegations leveled against it by its actions and inactions on the issues which have been dominating the public space for sometime now.”
On ridiculing and soiling the image of the Traditional Institution on the altar of politics, the Coalition stated that,”We note with grave concern and warning that the decision by the Bauchi Emirate Council to withdraw the traditional title of Mujaddadin Bauchi earlier conferred on Distinguished Senator Shehu Buba and the reasons adduced for that has further confirmed a consistent pattern and habit of the incumbent administration to drag the revered traditional institution into politics with the consequence that it is daily losing the remnant of public trust and confidence left in it.”
“In Bauchi State, available records has shown that the number of title holders removed or suspended apparently at the behest of the PDP led administration in its nearly 6 years in office so far among which the cases of the holder of the titles of Wakilin Birni (May, 2021) , Jakkadan Bauchi (January, 2022), Wazirin Bauch (January 2023), Kauran Ningi (November, 2023) and now Mujaddadin Bauchi are prominent examples is more than the number of such decisions taken by the Six Emirates in the state put together since independence,” The Coalition observed.
According to the Coalition,”This is more when the focus is on suspension or outright removal having political undertones. Another valid point to observe which also lend credence to the fact that Governor Bala Mohammad is behind all these removals and what have you, is the fact that virtually all the title holders involved belonged to rival political parties and the decision is taken after they engaged in open disagreement with the Governor.”
It stressed that, “This is most unfortunate. It is a bad omen as regards the role, status and estimation of the traditional institution in the eyes of right thinking members of the society and therefore the negative and most condemnable trend has to stop. It has to stop.”
“We further observe that at a time when the attention of Governors and other leaders in the North should be geared towards finding lasting solutions to the basic problems facing their citizens which have made survival difficult to most of them to the extent that it is today the sad reality that many families have resorted to eating a grass commonly called Tafasa to survive, quite a number of them in Bauchi, Kano, Sokoto among other states are taking steps that is battering the already bruised image of the traditional institution,” It lamented.
The Coalition stated that,”In our view, therefore, the on-going assault on the revered stool of Emirs and the rich cultural heritage they represent couple with the sound values they symbolise must stop. One way of achieving this is for their Royal Highnesses to follow the example of some of their ancestors who in circumstances like the ones at hand will prefer throwing in the towel than to compromise the basic principles of justice, fairness and proper conduct.”
“In the case of Bauchi Emirate, the situation is more serious when one recall the recent incidence of Tukuran Bauchi where it became so obvious that almost everything of what the Palace should do was done in the reverse for the same reasons as with the already highlighted cases,” It stressed.
The Coalition added that,”As such, we reiterate the call for our palaces to fight back by doing everything possible to redeem their image no matter what it may cost. After all, the Bala Kauran Bauchi-led administration will go with time but the stool of their Royal Highnesses remain.”
“One therefore hopes that the wisdom in this wake up is not loss on all our traditional leaders not just in Bauchi State, Northern Nigeria and the country as a whole,” It added.
The Coalition however declared that the real issues have not been addressed stating that,”As other speakers and commentators have observed, Bauchi State government appear to be chasing shadows as regards the real issues of concern. In a democracy, citizens are observant that the real issues is for the government to clear the air on the questions asked about the various support packages released to it for the benefit of its citizens by the Federal Government.”
“Take the 70 trucks of fertiliser for instance. Here, the average citizen in Gamawa, Bogoro, Darazo, Alkaleri and the other local governments in the state are interested in knowing why it took until the blowing of the whistle before government admitted that the product which is vital in boosting farming activities has been received,” It added.
According to the Coalition,”Other questions are by commencing the distribution of the material a day or two to the local government election, will this not qualified as a sort of inducement and what guarantee is there that the exercise like most of the ones before it is tailored to benefit only members of the ruling party in the state notwithstanding that His Royal Highness, the Emir of Jama’are sit as the Chairman of the Distribution Committee.”
“What is the explanation between the figures of 70 trucks which the Federal Government is reported to have donated and the 42,000 bags put forward by the Committee, will the government follow the lead of President Bola Tinubu by distributing the fertilizer at no cost instead of the N20,000 per bag it was selling the fertiliser before and so on and so forth,” It stressed.
It added that,”Moreover, the way and manner in which Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed- led administration is handling state funds including the truth about its spending and what have you raises more questions such that factual and verifiable answers are needed as a matter of urgency. We are talking of state resources here where every citizen of the state has a stake in it hence the need to know how his/her resources are being spent.”
The Coalition however declared that,”We are having a Leadership crises. A situation where leaders tolerate little or nothing of opposing views even when same is backed by facts and superior reasoning, at a time when some leaders prefer playing blame games to showing transparency and accountability and at a time when priorities are misplaced and of course opportunities to cushion the effect of the hard times the ordinary citizen is passing through are missed, then it is more than obvious that there is a problem.”
It opined that,”The earlier the leadership realizes and adjusts to this stark reality of the situation on the ground the better. We conclude by saying that Bauchi State is for us all and from the way we vote for councilors and Chairmen tomorrow, the question how ready we are for the task at hand would have been answered. God bless Bauchi State.”
Text of the Press conference was read by Usamat Kabir Adam Esq, Chief Missioner, LAWBA with support by the Secretary, Bauchi Gari Ya Waye and the Coordinator, HURICON.
