Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has expressed his disappointment over President Bola Tinubu’s recent nationwide broadcast, describing it as “empty” and lacking empathy for the nation’s youth.
Speaking to journalists at the Government House in Bauchi on Monday after an emergency security council meeting, Governor Mohammed highlighted that President Tinubu did not consult with state governors before delivering his address. He believes this oversight contributed to a disconnect between the government and the governed.
“I’m not a spokesperson of the Presidency, but I certainly know that the speech of the President was very empty,” Mohammed stated.
“It has rather escalated the whole situation because he would have listened to the governors who are his first line of charge, first line of commanders at the sub-national level so that we can give him what is going on because we also listen to our local government chairmen.”
Governor Mohammed’s comments came in the wake of unrest in Katagum Local Government Area, where a 24-hour curfew was imposed after hoodlums exploited a protest to vandalize the Government House Annex and the residence of a former deputy governor. Shops were broken into, and properties looted in Azare, the headquarters of Katagum.
The governor criticized the manner in which President Tinubu’s speech addressed the youth, saying, “They went and spoke in a manner that has not shown empathy or sympathy to the youth.”
To address the escalating crisis, the Bauchi State government held an extended emergency security council meeting, involving security agencies, traditional institutions, and religious groups.
Governor Mohammed assured residents that his administration is committed to preventing the nationwide protests against bad governance, tagged #EndBadGovernmentinNigeria, from escalating further.
He called on Bauchi citizens to remain law-abiding and exercise restraint, emphasizing the importance of sustainable peace and stability.
“The peaceful protest is a clear demonstration that government at all levels has failed in the discharge of constitutional and statutory responsibilities,” Mohammed added.
Governor Mohammed’s remarks underscore the growing frustration among state leaders regarding the federal government’s handling of national issues and highlight the need for more inclusive governance practices.
