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Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has criticised President Bola Tinubu, saying his economic reform policies are putting the North and Nigerians at large under strain.
Mohammed said he is not on good terms with the President, whom he accused of not listening to the people.
The governor made the claims when he received the National Chairman Council of Ulama Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah Wa’Ikamatis Sunnah, Sheikh Sani Jingir, who paid him a condolence visit at his office in Bauchi, the state capital.
Public Affairs commentator, Abdul-Aziz Abubakar, shared a video of the Governor’s remarks on his X handle on Wednesday.
“It is true that we are not on good terms with him (President Tinubu) because our brothers and sisters are suffering. Even we, the governors, are suffering. Aside from his policies, he does not listen to us,” Mohammed told Jingir, who was a staunch proponent of the Muslim-Muslim ticket that brought Tinubu to power in May 2023.
He expressed frustration over the president’s refusal to address the hardship, adding that the North has been particularly affected by the recent tax reforms proposed by the Federal Government.
The governor underscored the vulnerability of the North, arguing that many northern states rely heavily on federal allocations to survive.
He also argued that the tax reforms would worsen these economic weaknesses.
“The North, unfortunately, heavily relies on federal allocation to survive. The reforms he is proposing will put the region under strain. He does not agree that this is a situation that will put we northerners and all Nigerians at a disadvantage.
“For instance, this issue of tax is an issue of common sense and wisdom. No government can stand without revenue. If you tamper with the government’s means of revenue, we can’t be here,” he noted.
The governor urged Jingir to leverage his influence and appeal to Tinubu to review his policies.
“You are one of those to whom the president listens. We mean no disrespect, but we have been telling the president that his policies are not working.
“Thank God you are alive today to use your wise words of wisdom in this regard because we politicians often use harsh words; I believe you can help with the change we want,” he appealed.
As of this report, the Presidency had not responded to queries by our correspondent to react to Mohammed’s statement.
In an earlier reaction, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Mr Sunday Dare, said the governor’s stance neither reflects the attitude of the North towards the Tax Reforms bill nor the constructive dialogue needed between states and the FG.
“His energy might be better directed toward implementing effective poverty alleviation programmes and ensuring transparent utilisation of these federal resources [N144bn received from FG]. The Tax Reform Act and increased federal allocations significantly benefit the states,” said Dare.
