Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has vowed that he will not join the ruling All Progressives Congress alleging that the Federal Government is using its institutions like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to persecute and prosecute those not in their party.
He declared that he will not allow anybody criminalize him because he has refused to join the APC saying that he has been quiet for a long time but will no longer do so.
The Governor who stated this shortly after being honoured by the Safety Institute of Nigeria as Safety Ambassador at the Government House, Bauchi on Wednesday, said that the award given to him has exonerated him from blames, persecutions and accusations of behaving arbitrarily.
He accused the APC led Federal Government of abandoning Bauchi State and refusing to provide not even a single kilometer of road, or water and security despite taking 51 percent of the country’s resources.
“We have a country where 51 percent of the resources of the country is taken by the Federal Government. In my state, they have not provided 1 kilometer of road, they have not provided water, even the security agencies, I’m the one paying them to work for us; and they have the guts to talk.
“But certainly, politics has become something else in Nigeria, but with this kind of people around, Mr. Malgui and his colleagues, there is still hope in the country. Whatever anybody does to prosecute you, somehow God will do something to absorb you of blames, of persecutions; because with the little resources we have to work with and do what we have done in Bauchi, somebody will accuse us of arbitrariness.
“This is a country where, when you work, you become a villain, you become an idiot. I have kept quiet for too long just for peace and security, because as politicians, we should not overheat the polity, but I am not a coward, I’m just keeping quiet because of the common people. We don’t have to denounce and denigrate people before we ascend to power,” he said.
Continuing, he said: “The APC led Federal Government feel they can use the courts, the institution of government, like the EFCC to persecute and prosecute Nigerians that are not within their own party. If they don’t stop, we’re going to declare war. I assure you that we’re not going to keep quiet any longer. I won’t allow anybody to criminalize me because I’m not in their party and I refuse to join their party, and I will not join their party. My family members, my officials are being taken like anything and are being locked up without any reason.
“This award inspired me to talk, I didn’t want to talk but we still hope in the courts and in Nigerians. I thank the institute for this opportunity and I assure you, it is not going to make us arrogant, our humility and modesty will continue. We will little resources to do things and leave legacies and landmarks that will make Nigerians proud and no Jupiter will stop us from doing this.”
The Governor who is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, wondered why anyone would accused him who is the leader of the opposition in Nigeria and the Chief Security Officer of his State, of sponsoring terrorism.
“You see, the ironies of life are full of certainties and so much ambiguities. Issues that come to knock each other are there for us to say, the negatives and positives of life. I was just waking up to an occasion were I was told that I was accused of terrorism, as a Governor, someone who is the head of the opposition.
“My Commissioner (of Finance) has been kept and would not be released by the EFCC, even when I have immunity as a Governor, my name was stupendously mentioned in a motion, in a court of law in Nigeria. Me, Bala Mohammed, who is being recognized without my incling for this kind of recognition. God is wonderful. I don’t have to say anything, you don’t have to go to the public court,” he stated.
Mohammed called on the Federal Government to rescind its decision to go on with the January 1st implementation of the tax regime lamenting that despite the “impurities” in it, “they’re going ahead to impoverish the common man, to impoverish the sub-nationals.”
He said that the security in Bauchi State is more than the security in the north noting that this has been achieved through community development and the tolerance that exists in the state despite having a multi party system in the State House of Assembly; he however said that at the national level, “there is too much intolerance from the Federal Government.”
“We thank you most sincerely, convey our appreciation to your organization. We don’t need anything more than good governance. Nigerians should be bailed out of poverty. There should be reduction of pain. We are ready to support the presidency and the Federal Government to work because we are federalists.
“We have built our health system, our primary education, we are reducing the prevalence of our if school children. We have been given award three times by the Federal Government for Urban Development, Good Governance and then, they are accusing us, what kind of paradox is this? What do they want us to do? What they want us to do is to join them, we will not join them. If they want war, I have said it, we will give them, if they want peace, we will give them peace,” the Governor declared.
Earlier speaking before presenting the award to the Governor, a Life member of the Institute, Haruna Malgwi, commended the Governor for the measures his administration has put in place for the safety of the people of Bauchi State, particularly at the various points of service delivery.
He said the Institute considered four criteria before arriving at the decision to honour the Governor with the award explaining that:
“On behalf of the President and the Governing Board, I can tell you without mincing words, that the four criteria of choosing and Ambassador at your level are: Occupational Health, Safety of the citizens, the Environment and the security of the people and you have passed the marks.”
Armstrong Bakam
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