Gov Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi new claims on speaker of house of Reps.
– Gov Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi claims that some lawmakers from the state are against him because he has refused to buy houses, cars for them
– He says the National Assembly members were needlessly trying to undermine efforts of their governor and tried to pitch the people against him The crisis in Bauchi state has taken a new twist as Governor Mohammed Abubakar recently dropped a damning allegation against some lawmakers representing the state.
Speaking over the weekend in commemoration of the 56th independence anniversary of the country, Governor Abubakar claimed that some members of the National Assembly from the state are opposing his administration because he has refused to buy houses and cars for them,
According to him, Bauchi was the only state where National Assembly members were needlessly trying to undermine efforts of their governor and tried to pitch the people against him.
He said: “At a time, the National Assembly members met me in a certain place where they requested that I should buy houses for them in Abuja and luxury jeep cars, but I told them that even if I’m bathing in a pool of money, I cannot afford to meet their demands.
“I’m ready to give them any assistance they may require, but not houses or cars, especially with the present economic predicament.”
Governor Abubakar noted that Bauchi was among states getting lower allocation from the federation account, saying that as the governor, he must prioritize how to spend money meant for the state’s development.
He recalled that he had constituted three different committees to meet with members of the National Assembly to iron out their differences, but they refused to honour his peace invitation.
Governor Abubakar added that he also sent the State Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to meet with them but only five out of the 18 National Assembly members attended the meeting.
that members of the National Assembly and leaders of the APC in Bauchi state met with the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odie-Oyegun, last month to report Governor Abubakar to the national leadership of the party.
Their grievances, bothered on the non-payment of workers’ salaries, non-utilisation of bailouts from the federal government, among others. The delegation, which was led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, comprised of members of the Senate and the House; the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu; and leaders of the APC in the state.
But in a swift reaction, Governor Abubakar denied tampering with the bailout funds given to the state by the federal government.
He said all monies received were appropriated for the purpose they were given, including paying of workers’ salaries. Speaking with state House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa last month, Governor Abubakar said Dogara was fighting him because he refused to support his emergence as Speaker.
He said: “My problem with Dogara started during the election for the leadership of the national assembly.
“I stood on the side of the party. I directed every Bauchi lawmaker to toe the line of the party. At that time, nine out of the 11 lawmakers did that, and later the candidate of Bauchi won and it’s common knowledge that all the lawmakers went to his side.”
naij.com
