Bauchi State

By Mukhtar Jarmajo

Sir, you are aware that the 2023 general elections have come and gone and the dust it has raised in the Bauchi State All Progressives Congress (APC) is yet to settle. Also given that you are one of the prominent leaders of the party who definitely call the shots, most of the issues at hand clearly have your name, among others, written on them. It is therefore only right that you open up and clear the air on the grey areas where you are alleged to have worked in different dimensions with your party. This is important not only because it will help in making sure that your statesmanship and gentlemanly statue remain intact, but also because it will see to it that posterity remembers you as a true party man. 

Honorable minister, it is alleged that you did not support the APC governorship candidate in Bauchi State, retired Air Marshall Sadique Baba Abubakar in the just concluded general elections. It is also alleged that you did not support him because of the following reasons: 1. If the APC in Bauchi State gets a governor, you will seize to be the party leader in the state. You are therefore comfortable with the present arrangement; 2. If he becomes governor, Air Marshall Sadique Baba Abubakar may not be submissive to you unlike the present governor who you are alleged to have been working together with; and 3. The Katagum factor. 

While it is very difficult to believe all these allegations because of your known principles of altruism, you will do a great deal of service to your political party, the APC, if you clear the air especially when certain reasons are used to back the allegations. They are: 1. Throughout the campaign period, you did not attend any of the party’s rallies in Bauchi State; 2. The Bauchi State APC Chairman, who allegedly was brought by you from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has also not been on ground to discharge his responsibilities. It was alleged that you were together in Abuja; 3. In contravention to the agreement that a state governorship aspirant was to coordinate the APC Presidential Campaign Council in his state, you allegedly worked day and night to replace Air Marshall Sadique Baba Abubakar with your friend; and 4. It is not yet clear whether or not you were in Azare, your home town, both during the presidential and governorship elections to vote.

With all these at hand, it is alleged that Mallam Adamu Adamu, the Honorable Minister of Education in an APC led administration worked hard to ensure that the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu lost Bauchi to PDP’s Atiku Abubakar. Similarly, you allegedly worked to ensure that most of those who vied positions to the national assembly in Bauchi State did not win. Certainly, this scenario is difficult to understand just as the entire picture is hardly legible. But you are in the best position to clear the air. 

Jarmajo wrote from Kukadi/Gundari Ward, Misau Local Government. 

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Yakubu Dogara, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, alleges that there was widespread vote-buying yesterday during the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in some local councils in Bauchi State.

Dogara made this claim after casting his ballot in Gwarangah 007 Polling Unit in Bogoro Local Council.

He said, “There is massive vote-buying going on across polling units; security agencies have been briefed. From the information I have received, we saw what is going on in Darazo local council, the same thing in some local councils in Bauchi North.

“I’m also aware from the security team that lots of vote-buying is going on in Alkaleri local council. I hope the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and security agencies will be on their toes to deal with this so that we can have free, fair elections,” Dogara said.

He added that it took him five hours before he could vote during the last election, but there was an improvement this time around.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Yakubu Dogara, a former House of Representatives speaker and representative for the Dass/Tafawa Balewa/Bogoro Federal Constituency, has declared that he is not presently a member of any political party.

In addition, he stated that he would only support individuals running for elective offices in the general elections of 2023, regardless of their political affiliation.

Dogara stated this on Wednesday while participating in the Politics Today programme on Channels Television.

Recall that Dogara left the APC for the PDP after vehemently criticising the latter’s Muslim-Muslim ticket and announcing his support for Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s presidential candidate.

He was quoted as saying, “I am supporting candidates; I am not doing any political party for now, I am supporting candidates.

“Everybody knows that I backed Atiku Abubakar for Presidency for reasons I told the whole world but in Bauchi State before primaries were concluded, I had supported the aspiration of Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar who is the current APC governorship candidate and I have my candidates for House of Assembly in my constituency.

“I have Senatorial and House of Representatives candidates that I helped midwife into those positions, and I can’t abandon them for political stability.”

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Yakubu Shehu, a Member of the House of Representatives from Bauchi, has been labelled wanted by the Nigeria Police Force.

Anyone with information that could result in his arrest is eligible for a ₦1 million bounty, according to the police.

The 45-year-old politician is allegedly wanted by the police for committing criminal conspiracy, causing great bodily harm, disturbing the peace, and culpable homicide.

This is contained in a bulletin, which has the picture and address of the lawmaker on it and is from the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Bauchi State Police Command.

The bulletin reads, “Hon. Yakubu Abdullahi Shehu (Wakilin Birni), ‘m’ 45 years old. Last known address: Off Danjuma Goje street, Makama new extension, Jahun ward, Bauchi Local Government, Bauchi State.

“The above person is hereby declared wanted by the Nigeria Police on CRO Form 5, issued by the Inspector General of Police.

“He is wanted in connection with a case of Criminal Conspiracy, Causing grievous hurt, Inciting Disturbance of Public Peace and Culpable Homicide.

“State Criminal Investigation Department S.C.I.D No.1 refers to this Bulletin and gives details of rewards of one million (1,000,000) naira for the arrest of this person. Issued by the Authority of the Inspector General of Police.

“Anyone with information that could assist in his arrest should please contact; 08151849417 or report at any nearest Police Station.”

By Ukasha Rabiu Magama

In a bid to prevent pre and post-election unrest across Toro and Bauchi during the oncoming elections in Nigeria, Toro Uplift Association commences a sensitisation program across various secondary schools in Bauchi state.

The sensitisation program, which will commence on Monday, 13 February 2023 and end on Thursday, 23 February 2023, has been disclosed by the Union’s chairman Abdulfatah Mu’azu while addressing some susceptible youths in Toro last Wednesday on the consequence of political thuggery.

Abdulfatah said the sensitisation journey, which will be embarked on in three selected secondary schools across the state’s towns, is aimed at discouraging pre and post-election violence in the forthcoming poll.

He, however, admonished the susceptible youths to disassociate themselves from unprofitable politicians who may hire them to disrupt the smooth conduct of elections for selfish interests.

In their respective comments, some of the susceptible youths, Shamsudden Umar and Nabil Saleh, paid allegiance to Toro Uplift and thanked the union for considering them despite their situation and promised not to engage in any political violence no matter the amount of money one will offer them during the election period. 

In his remark, the association’s secretary Umar Muhammad Sani said the Toro Uplift would not fold its hands to allow selfish politicians to use youths to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the exercise. He, however, charges that susceptible youths report any suspicious politicians whose target is to use them as thugs.

He further called on the principals of various secondary schools across the state to give the Toro Uplift Association maximum cooperation to have a smooth sensitisation exercise so that entire societies will be benefited from the program’s outcome. 

By Uzair Adam Imam

Reports from Bauchi State indicate that at least four people were murdered when gunmen attacked a community in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that, during the attack Sunday, the gunmen abducted one person and left another person critically injured.

The Bauchi State Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakili, confirmed the attack in a statement he issued to journalists.

He stated, “On receiving the report, detectives of the command were drafted to the scene led by the DPO Tafawa Balewa Divisional Police Headquarters evacuated the victims to the Tafawa Balewa General Hospital for medical treatment.

“Unfortunately, four victims were certified dead by the medical doctor, while one person sustained various degrees of injury during the attack,” he stated.

Wakili added that the Commissioner of Police, Aminu Alhassan, has directed a discreet investigation to arrest the perpetrators of the act and bring them to justice.

By Ukasha Rabiu Magama

Youths in Bauchi state have been challenged to engage in community development projects and uphold the spirit of patriotism by providing a lasting solution to the severe hardship the rural dwellers are experiencing due to poor infrastructure in the nation.

Speaking with the reporters in an interview with Joshua Sanga, the Director General of Bauchi state Public Procurement in Kwagga, during the commissioning of the solar borehole project worth over N6 million executed by a corps member, Umar Abubakar Ahmed in Kwagga, Toro local government Bauchi state.

Abubakar, who sacrificed the money offered to him by Shibnobi Firm as an award of recognition for his selfless service to the company said to have spent it to provide a lasting solution to long decades of water scarcity in his community.

Commending the project initiator, Eng. Sanga emphasised that it’s high time for young men to start reaching out to their various communities with such a life-changing project to meet the yearning and aspirations of the people as the government alone can’t meet people’s demands up to a satisfactory level.

While commissioning the milestone project, the chairman of Toro local government of Bauchi state Alhaji Danlami Tashan Dami, represented by his deputy Alhaji Auwal Abba affirmed that when youth possesses patriotism, our rural areas would be developed, adding that it will go a long in reducing the hardship experienced by rural dwellers as well as the burden of the government. 

Umar Abubakar Danfulani, the project initiator, said he only forfeited the 6 million Naira offered to him by Shibnobi Firm not because he doesn’t have dreams but rather to provide potable drinking water to his community. He, however, stated that it pains him much to see his parents, sisters and among other well-wishers fetching drinking water from the mucky pond, adding that government must stand on its feet to end the water scarcity and other social amenities deficits in the rural areas hence the need is to provide a conducive atmosphere for living.

Abubakar asked the parents to take their wards to school, describing education as the bedrock of development, saying that without being educated, he won’t have Shibnobi Firm won’t offer him a job, not talk about bringing the project to the community. Abubakar, who is currently in his one-year mandatory service to the nation in Abuja, said that he struggled so much and sponsored his education as an orphan. Therefore, they called on parents to do everything possible to ensure their wards are educated for a better tomorrow.

In his remark, the royal father of the host community Kwagga, Mlm, Idris Abdullahi, on behalf of the entire Kwagga community, showed their appreciation to the young Umar Abubakar for remembering the town’s predicaments and by bringing them the timely succour, adding that only God almighty can bless him. He also urged the Bauchi state government to provide them with pipes to channel the water to their various houses.

Meanwhile, the Uplift Association presented an award of excellence to the young Umar Abubakar for his sacrifice and selfless service to humanity; while presenting the award Abdulfatah Mu’azu, the association chairman, challenged the youth to emulate his kind gesture as there were many gaps awaiting the youths to fixed, saying government alone can’t provide our needs.

The event had notable dignitaries, Toro local government Danlami Tashan Durumi who was represented by his deputy Alhaji Auwal Abba, a representative from the state ministry of water resources, royal fathers, politicians, corps members, and youths associations, among others.

By Ukasha Rabiu Magama

Motorists have been admonished to drive at a regulated speed limit and observe the road and driving rules and regulations to prevent road traffic crashes along the major highways to save the lives and properties of the commuters.

Officer Gibson Ogbeinama, the unit head of operations, acting for Toro Unit commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps FRSC, made the charge while supervising the potholes filling along Bauchi Jos road embarked by the Toro Uplift Association in Goljarendi Magama Gumau Toro local government Bauchi state.

Ogbeinama said three major factors contribute to road traffic crashes, among which are the environmental factor, the mechanical factor and the human factor. Therefore motorists should notice and adhere to driving guidelines by giving extra care to dangerous potholes to prevent frequent occurrences of road traffic crashes.

In his remark, the chairman of Toro Uplift Association, Abdulfath Mu’azu, expressed delight and appreciated the Road Safety Corps members’ support during the exercise. Added that Toro Uplift will continue working hand in hand with FRSC members when the need arises; hence the need is to save the lives and properties of the citizens.

Similarly, the chairman of Magama Youth Forum, Haruna Dan Maigoro, whom Jamilu Musa represented, the association secretary, thanked Toro Uplift for the gesture, adding that the fill-up exercise will go a long way in mitigating the risk of accidents along the road. He, however, relished youths for coming out in numbers to support the exercise.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

A trailer transporting ginger skidded off the road, crashed, and spilt its contents on the road.

The incident occurred Thursday morning at Nahuta in the Darazo Local Government Area of Bauchi State. 

It was learned that the truck swerved off when the driver dozed off while operating, which led to a loss of control.

The trailer left Kafanchan in Kaduna State and was travelling to Maiduguri in Borno State.

According to a source, no fatalities or significant injuries were reported in the accident.

By Tajuddeen Ahmad Tijjani

Bauchi State APC Gubernatorial Candidate, Ambassador, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar (RTD), CFR, had on 29 December 2022 flagged off a free medical diagnosis and treatment for eye patients at the Federal Medical Center, Azare. Hence such a philanthropic gesture earned him more support and love from the concerned citizen in the environs and beyond. 

Later, he joyfully went on to inspect a campaign office that was donated by Usman Sufy. Amidst cheers from supporters and well-wishers. Sufy, a young, dynamic youth leader whose personality is garnished with technical know-how and grassroots mobilization spirit, has assured his total commitment to the Air Marshall project; he joined the train with thousands of supporters across Bauchi State for the sole aim of an APC victory in the 2023 election. Indeed, Sufy’s relevance in the Bauchi political arena shall never be over-emphasized at this material time, and perhaps it will add more value to the Baba Sadieque movement. 

It’s very imperative to note that not only had sufy joined the train, holding the line with progressive minds, but he even meritoriously carried his lieutenant along in an eloquent, compelling, historical, rebounding, and overwhelming manner for the victory of Sadique. Remember, the Arabic meaning of my man’s name is “truthful,” which he symbolizes in all his dealings. 

The massive support the Progressive candidate is receiving in Bauchi North and indeed all over the state will sweep away all doubt, further secure his resounding victory, cement the naysayers’ doubt, yet, reposition the state, and usher in a new and refreshing era of hope, progress, and prosperity, in sha Allah. 

However, Sadique appreciated the resounding welcome and reiterated his commitment to repositioning Bauchi State on the path of progress and development. Yet he assures the people of Katagum that, when given the mandate in 2023, the APC government will focus on people-oriented programs/policies that will be beneficial to the populace of Bauchi State as a whole.

Tajuddeen Ahmad Tijjani writes from Galadima Mahmoud Street, Kasuwar-Kaji Azare, Bauchi State.