Yakubu Dogara, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, has berated the Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed for his recent comments against the Federal Government.
Governor Bala had last week claimed that the federal government’s policies were driving poverty, hunger, and economic hardship across the nation.
The former speaker accused Gov. Mohammed of interested in appeasing people with lies rather than face the challenge of governance in the state.
During a Peoples Democratic Party campaign event at the Bauchi State Government House, Bala specifically accused President Tinubu of implementing harmful policies. “The new policies brought by the federal government are not working. We can see the manifestation of it in different colours, from the North to the South.”
In his response, Dogara acknowledged that Nigeria is facing challenges but urged leaders to focus on resolving the crisis rather than engaging in what he described as irresponsible rhetoric. “It is certainly not a time to engage in blowing all the dog whistles at once in the irresponsible manner Governor Bala Mohammed did,” he stated.
Dogara, in a statement on Saturday, accused Governor Bala of mismanaging Bauchi State for over six years, pointing to a lack of functional social amenities under his leadership.
He highlighted that Bauchi is among the states with the highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria and questioned the governor’s failure to establish functional schools and hospitals.
“Just one example: My Alma Mater, the famous Bauchi Teachers College located right under his nose, now lies in ruins. Let him tell the world which of the hospitals in the state is fully functional and how many doctors he has employed. The list is endless,” Dogara challenged.
Further criticizing the governor, Dogara accused Bala of being more interested in appeasing the public with lies than in addressing the real issues. “Right now, he has turned Bauchi State into a prison of mirrors where his revealed lies are answered with new lies.
“For me, it didn’t come as a surprise because I had long ago, both in writing and on live TV, denounced him as a thug who speaks in the manner of thugs and understands only the language of thuggery,” he concluded.
Babaji Usman Babaji is an investigative journalist with over four years of experience, renowned for his impactful reporting on corruption, human rights violations, and holding those in power accountable in Nigeria.
His career is distinguished by participation in numerous media training programs and conferences, which have honed his investigative and reporting skills. Babaji’s data-driven stories have made a significant impact, particularly in Northern Nigeria, shedding light on critical issues and driving meaningful change.
As a reporter under WikkiTimes’ Collaborative Media (CMEDIA) Project, Babaji has led several groundbreaking investigations. He was a 2022 fellow of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and a 2024 Media Foundation for West Africa DPI/DPG fellow. His contributions to accountability journalism earned him a Certificate of Recognition from Xchange Hama Media for impactful community work.
