Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has expressed criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform policies, stating they are placing undue strain on the North and Nigerians as a whole, SAVANNAH NEWSNOW REPORTS.
Mohammed, the governor, accused the President of not listening to the people and revealed that they are not on good terms during a condolence visit from Sheikh Sani Jingir, the National Chairman Council of Ulama Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah Wa’Ikamatis Sunnah, at his office in Bauchi.
“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.
The governor voiced frustration with the president’s reluctance to address the hardship, noting that the North has been disproportionately affected by the recent tax reforms proposed by the Federal Government.
He emphasized the North’s vulnerability, pointing out that many northern states are heavily reliant on federal allocations to survive, and argued that the tax reforms would exacerbate 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.
At the time of this report, the Presidency had yet to respond to our correspondent’s queries regarding Mohammed’s statement.
In an earlier response, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Mr Sunday Dare, stated that the governor’s stance does not reflect the North’s attitude 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.
