Sponsoring Crisis: Look Elsewhere – Governor Mohammed Says
…Urges security agencies to strip him of immunity if found culpable
BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has declared that his antecedent as a civil servant, a Senator of the Federal Republic, a Federal Minister does not and cannot support his alleged sponsoring of crisis of any type in any part of the country.
Mohammed, who stated this while responding to insinuations in certain quarters that some serving and former governors are plotting to cause trouble in the country, said that he was disturbed to have heard such insinuation on the pages of some newspapers that some governors in the North are trying to cause trouble in the country.
The Governor said that he was surprised to have read such insinuation stressing that; “I want to categorically dissociate myself from that kind of action.
“Let me use this medium to clear the issue of some Governors and of course, I have seen some insinuations that a North-East Governor – may be referring to me or some kinds of insinuation that I’m trying to foment trouble or cause riots in Northern Nigeria in conjunction with a former Governor and a serving Governor.
“We are working very hard to make sure that Nigeria and Northern Nigeria are save. Some people are threatened may be because of the rising profile of some of us, and they are using this to cause disaffection between some of us and security agencies,” Mohammed said.
The Bauchi State Governor pointedly denied the alleged plans to cause trouble in the country in connivance with unnamed serving and former governors in the North-West sub-region of the country.
Mohammed, who stated these while speaking with Journalists at the Government, Bauchi, shortly after receiving the report of the panel of inquiry on Land Use and farmer/herders clashes as well as the inauguration of a 45 man white paper implementation committee, urged security agencies to swing into action to investigate the rumour.
He further said; “If found wanting or guilty, please come and prosecute me irrespective of our constitutional protections, because to me, this is the last thing I could do.
“I believe in the Nigeria project, I believe in the unity of Nigeria. My personal ambition will not cause me to extract against the Federal Government. Bauchi State has benefited so much from the Federal Government since I became the Governor. We got over N12 billion from President Buhari-led administration to build houses. We have gotten a refund of over N12 billion with which we have used to set Bauchi on a path of prosperity.
“We have benefited so much from the Federal Ministry of Finance. We will be the last to cause disaffection between the state and the federal government.
“Those who are looking for reason to raise their profile should look for other means. They should not use Bala Mohammed for this,” he said.
Mohammed frowned at any move to desterbilize the country, saying that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable, adding that; “As Nigerians, we have come a long way together, nothing can separate us, we are closely knitted together through various ways and means. We must continue to tolerate each other”.
