IN this interview with veteran journalist and columnist, SANUSI MUHAMMAD, issues of national interest were discussed and he described Governor Bala Muhammed of Bauchi State as the most ideal politician at this material time for the Presidency in 2027 if Nigeria desires to regain its fast fading glory.
State of the nation
So many things are wrong deserving prompt solutions in Nigeria; high rate of corruption and stealing in every facet of life, lopsided political appointments, insecurity, abject poverty and malnutrition, declining state of education, hyper-inflation and virtually every aspect of governance. Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gun powder. We have no determined, sincere and experienced leadership in virtually, all strata of governance.
The country has more of jokers, clowns, jesters and sycophants in leadership positions than the desirables needed to navigate the country to safe coast.
Let’s discuss corruption
It is the bedrock of the country’s downfall. It is the main culprit of the present ugly situation we have found ourselves. It is in Nigeria that a mortuary attendant demands for bribe before releasing a dead body to owners. It is in Nigeria a grave digger or pump attendant in a filling station or hospital attendant demands for bribe before attending to customers.
In virtual every aspect of our lives bribery and corruption has significant roles to play. The situation is worrisome and unbelievable.
Another point is that, due to insincerity of those in leadership, the country is fast disintegrating alone ethno-religious and regional lines. The north is talking of marginalization and betrayal of trust because it delivered over 63 percent of Tinubu’s winning votes in 2023, the south-east is shouting of relegation in national affairs while the south-south is complaining bitterly of disappointment with the system.
For instance, in 2023, there was this Muslim/Muslim ticket mantra meant to deceive the gullible Muslims to vote for Tinubu/Shetima as fellow Muslims. That deceit worked perfectly for the intention but what has it brought to the table for Nigerians? It only brought Tears, Sorrow and Blood to every home. We are just suffering and smiling for our foolishness and disunity in this Nigeria.
Look at the case of the recent stampedes in Abuja and Anambra where innocent souls were dispatched to the great beyond due to hunger and biting poverty. On common bag of rice, we lost innocent souls.
Way out?
So long as we have the likes of Prof Mahmoud Yakubu presiding over elections in Nigeria, we shall continue to have misfits in government. There should be total reformation of INEC, the NPF and the Judiciary. If we are to wage a sincere fight against corruption, we should introduce death penalty
sentence which our national makers may be the last to accept. Imagine an individual stealing over N109billion from the national purse simply because he was the Accountant-General of the Federation. Imagine the dismissed CBN governor with over 700 duplexes in an estate apart from other properties and liquid cash hidden. Imagine a former state governor who stole over N80billion and allowed bail. Imagine the number of crooks and rogues arrested and under prosecution for vandalizing public treasuries. Look at the 2025 federal budget. The amount allocated to national legislators is more than that of health, agriculture and education. There must be something wrong somewhere with our relationship with our creator. It seems we are a curse generation.
You are here at the Shehu Musa Yar Adu’a Centre for A Merit Award Ceremony
Yes Please! It is the Nigeria Today International Magazine 2024 Merit Award
Has the Award any political inclination?
It has nothing to do with politics. It is purely a media affair. We gathered as like minds in journalism to appreciate some selected Nigerians for their unquantifiable service, patriotism and nationalism devoid of any sentiment.
Who received the Award of the best Nigerian politician if any?
There was no such Award for anyone. And if there is to be any, I could have nominated Bauchi State Governor Sen. Bala Muhammed for it because he has no equal on the political, turf today.
You mean?
I mean he has no equal in political calculation, focus and service delivery at minimum cost, courage to voice out the truth no matter how bitter and an inbuilt zeal to justify a mandate not minding the odds.
He is such a wonderful politician that has mustered the game and plays the cards well at any given time. One most important part of his brand of politics is he hates hypocrisy, interference, deceit and unruly behavior. He knows how to fight and win the game with ease. He has no political enemy worth a mention but detractors and jesters disturbing their sleeps and peace.
Governor Bala is such a wonderful politician that has human development deeply rooted in his heart. He is a humanist by nature, focused by upbringing, intelligent by creation, morally upright by inheritance, calculative by training, tolerant from interactions, patient from experience, cool headed from maturity and blessed with good fighting skills to defeat a lion at first round. He is a politician that Nigeria needs to pilot its affairs for its good not town criers and those motor park politicians and merchants that are agents of retrogression dwarfing the progress of the country for their selfish interest.
Nigeria needs those with experience, sharp brains, focused and determined to bail it out from its present pathetic situation of poverty, insecurity, disunity, marginalization, hunger and mal-administration created from inexperience and insincerity in governance.
The country doesn’t need tribal, religious or regional bigots in the presidency. The country needs patriots and accomplished technocrats with the zeal to perform and excel in leadership.
Take a look at Bala’s rich profile beginning from his days in the National Youth Service at the Jos based Mirage Newspaper – the Kaduna based Democrat- News Agency of Nigeria and to the mainstream of the federal civil service to the time he took a bold step to venture into politics.
Courage and believe in God encouraged him to contest an election against a performing incumbent governor in 2007 which he gallantly won. Look at his brief stay in the senate and how he saved the country from disintegration before and after the death of President Yar Adu’a and his scorecard as FCT Minister.
I am not talking of his five-year stint in Bauchi as a governor that is second to none. Even his opponents can testify to the fact that he has justified his given mandate with pride and now setting the pace for his peers.
But is the presidency not too heavy for him?
Which Presidency is too heavy for someone who was a practicing journalist, civil servant, Senator, a Minister and a State Governor? From the records, of all those who presided over Nigeria as presidents, who had the leadership experience and quality of Governor Bala Muhammed before ascending the exalted seat as president? Who was a journalist, civil servant, senator or a minister amongst them before becoming a president? Bala is most qualified by any standard for the exalted position if we are sincerely in love with even development, unity and security of the country.
Why is Governor Bala fighting Sen. Shehu Buba Umar?
That’s news to me because Governor Bala is fighting no one to the best of my knowledge. What I know is that he is fighting underdevelopment, poverty and insecurity but not any other person.
But you are at liberty to ask Sen. Shehu Buba Umar if he is fighting his state governor and why? What I know is that Governor Bala Muhammed is not fighting anyone at anywhere and for any reason. He has no time for trivial and mundane issues. He devotes more of his time to developmental strides than on baseless mudslinging.
Sen. Shehu is his junior brother and in an elective office for the first time in his life. But unfortunately, he got unconsciously surrounded and caged by some frustrated, valueless and inconsequential politicians that have outlived their usefulness in politics. Some may be those fanning the embers of hate between the two leaders for their selfish interest thereby threatening the peace of the state.
I know the existence of some parasites and hangers-on that formed a team with the primary motive of misleading those opposition party members in elective offices to destroy the hard-earned reputation of the governor for recognition. Most of those in the team were thrown out from the system for their inconsistency, disloyalty, insincerity and selfishness and became frustrated and docile.
Name few
They know themselves without a mention of their names. Some of them were errand and data boys to the 2023 APC gubernatorial candidate Air Marshal Sadeeq. They failed to achieve their selfish interest within the Sadeeq camp and so, bolted out to the Shehu Buba camp to try luck through several claims for trust.
Reconciliatory move with Shehu Buba
Reconciliation for what? Reconciling what does not exist? Neither Governor Bala nor Senator Shehu stands to gain anything from any fight because the governor is the father and leader of all irrespective of party affiliation. It is the senator that needs the support of the governor despite party difference.
So what is your take?
If there is any misunderstanding as mischievously traded between the two not to my knowledge, the governor must have forgotten and forgiven as the compassionate leader he is and elder brother that we look up to as a role model. And the beauty of it all is that the governor is the forgiven type. We have in one way or the other offended him, but he has since slept over it.
Who takes over from Governor Bala Muhammed?
The best out of the best that cannot disappoint Sen. Bala Muhammed and the electorates. The governor is very conscious and cautious of his legacies and who to take over from him. Whosoever that may be takeover in 2027 on PDP ticket, has a gigantic task before him. He has to undergo several screening exercises and be rescreened before a trust can be established. Neither Governor Bala nor PDP believes in taking chances.
The governor as of today has not publicly endorsed any candidate and may not have any person in mind, to replace him. He is a true democrat that believes in equity, fairness and justice. Whosoever gets the party’s ticket through consensus or primary election, will be endorsed and supported to victory by the governor. There is no two-way about that.
Who are PDP aspirants for the governorship race?
I may not know them at this infant stage, but many are nursing the idea of contest. I have heard some clarion calls to Sen. Abdul Ahmed Ningi, Auwal Jatau, Usman Sufee, Sen. Kha’ila Dafuwa Azare, Farouk Mustapha and many others. But none of them has so far made a bold public declaration.
What of in opposition parties?
Some of those opposition parties exist only by name and nowhere to be located in the state while some are still in bed snoring. It is only the APC that I can say has some rumored aspirants.
APC is rumored to have former Governor, MA Abubakar SAN, Air Marshal Sadeeq Abubakar (Rtd), Dr Musa Babayo, Sen. Shehu Buba Umar, Nura Manu-Soro, Barr Ibrahim Zailani, Capt. Bala Jibrin, Sen. Halliru Jika and Amb. Maitama Tugga.
Why did the SSG suddenly resigned?
I have no idea on what motivated the sudden resignation. But that’s best known to him because there was no publicly stated reason for the sudden resignation. But the rumor mill has it that he may join the gubernatorial race.
Who is rumored to replace him?
So many people are lobbying to replace him but it all depends on the choice of the governor. Definitely, whosoever wins the confidence of the governor, must be prepared to keep to pace. The governor is a 24/7workaholic that stamps his foot-prints on the sands of time. He is inpatient with poor performance, insincerity, sycophancy and deceit of loyalty. It seems among those lobbying for the position, there are opposition party moles waiting to be trusted to wreck havoc on the system.
If wishes were horses, a fresh hand should be recruited for optimum loyalty and dedication. Let it not be from those already in the system handling other assignments for the government.
At any rate, the governor’s choice remains the best because he is the piloting captain and we are the passengers/observers and beneficiaries of his efforts.
Sack of the State Accountant-General
The Governor was too patient and tolerant for retaining the rogue in that position. He mustered the art of stealing silently and shortchanging several payments including those of retirees. He was long overdue for exposure, summary dismissal and prosecution. He pretended to wear the looks of Moses but in reality, he had the heart of Pharoah in the treasury. We are waiting for how the drama will end. He deserves more than a disgraceful end in the civil service.
Creation of Sayawa Chiefdom
That is an exercise long overdue. The governor wants to end the problem bedeviling the area but his recent statement on the issue was grossly misunderstood and mischievously twisted to suit a hidden agenda. What he meant from my understanding of the statement is that if there is need to create a Sayawa Chiefdom with headquarters in Tafawa Balewa, he was prepared for it to have ever lasting peace and unity. He never said he was creating a Sayawa Chiefdom overnight without due process. If the creation of the chiefdom with headquarters in Tafawa Balewa is for lasting peace and unity, he is ready to do it as a sincere leader. But critics read the statement upside down and attached sentiments.
The governor is not of Sayawa extraction, neither from Tafawa Balewa nor Bogoro but a committed leader for ever lasting peace to all. He has no special or personal interest in the issue other than to broker truce for peaceful co-existence. As a leader, he has to satisfy the wishes and aspirations of the people irrespective of any imaginary difference. There was no cause for the raised alarms.
Mind you, the governor has royal blood running in his veins and the first from any royal house of Bauchi State to be a governor. Therefore, he has more of interest in protecting and defending the royalty than any other person on the political scene. He will be the last person to destroy the traditional institution that birthed him. We should always strive to be objective in our analysis and judgments. The governor means well for the state.
