Photo: Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.
Armstrong Bakam, Bauchi –
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has alleged that his predecessor, Mohammed Abubakar, got not less than N60 billion bailout from the Federal Government during his four years in office with nothing to show.
The governor was speaking while distributing cash and starter packs to 1,000 selected people in Ganjuwa and Darazo Local Government Areas of the state on Tuesday.
He said that although the state has benefitted from many social investment programmes, but it was not so lucky to get bailout, budget support or any special financial intervention from the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
“We have a lot of challenges in terms of funding, you know we came at a time when COVID-19 was just around and the economic situation was so poor. We are also a government that came at the time when Mr. President has finished given his kindness to most of the state governments”.
“In the first instance, we know what he has done in terms of budget support to all the previous administration where he gave them a lot of support.
“And at the same time, the Paris Club that he made sure that he dolled out, over N60 billion to Bauchi state. We are not so lucky because he has already finished giving that programme.
“We are benefitting so much from the social intervention programme of the federal government and the economic sustainability programme, we are not really benefitting as much as the previous administration in terms of what comes into the coffers of the state,” he said.
The governor agreed with Members of the State House of Assembly who said that Ganjuwa LGA has not benefitted so much from capital projects executed by the state government.
He however, said: “I agree with them but the first capital project I did was in this town where I renovated a dilapidated secondary school that is supposed to be a center of excellence. The resources are so scarce and of course, one of the roads from Kampanin kutare, we are continuing with that project.”
Mohammed who lamented that the road project that is “paining me so much” is the one between Soro and Miya, because the contract had been awarded since but an unnamed member of the All Progressives Congress syphoned the money pointing out that the matter is before the Economic Financial Crimes Commission.
“The contract has been awarded before and one of the leaders of the APC has chop (sic) the money.
“We are already before the EFCC with him but that will not stop us from doing that project because that is a major gateway to Bauchi state from Yobe to other parts of the country,” he stated.