Special Advisor (Media/Public Relations) to Governor Bala Muhammed of Bauchi State, Comrade Mouktar Gidado says his boss has written his name in gold through those unquantifiable projects that serve as legacies spread across the 20 local government areas of the state.
Gidado said the quality of those completed and commissioned projects in Bauchi State and those reforms he initiated in various sectors of the economy, will outlive Governor Bala Muhammed.
In the affairs of a nation, especially when decisive policies and actions need to be taken, the temperature of the political pulse becomes dangerously high and delirious. And the leaders become frantic often flying their credentials, score cards and making sweet promises to influence the masses of the people.
A lot has been written and said about leaders, their styles of leadership, character and nuances. But nothing has taken up over all the spaces of our national dailies and airtime as the campaign of calumny and mudslinging that existed in Bauchi State before the 2023 gubernatorial election.
A lot of writers and public commentators were hatched overnight by the owls, to execute and propagate dangerous misinformation on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate and his personality just to smear his good name.
To be candid and sincere, majority of the electorates are yet to regret supporting the candidature and victory of Bala Muhammed in the 2019 and 2023 gubernatorial elections. They are yet to be disappointed by his leadership style, stewardship and policy implementation tailored, to the good of the people. If they have any grudge, they have the courage and guts to say so but none so far.
The intention of this piece is to douse some doubts in the minds of some doubting Thomas on the financial capacity of the government to complete the various ongoing road projects in Bauchi State and put them to use before the government exits in 2027.
Politicians in opposition claiming to have supported the struggles of Sen. Bala to reality, cry of disappointment that lacks substance and merit but simply because the drop of his largesse is yet to reach their end. Fortunately, the governor is aware of such feelings and is carefully strategizing to reach all that matter within the dictates of the financial position at hand as confirmed by his aides.
Suffice it to 2007, when Yuguda was battling the odds for victory, those who did not support him were not backed by any cogent reasons other than sheer cowardice of intimidation by the then government of the day or for their selfish agenda. Obstacles and ditches were deliberately planted on his paths but he adroitly and patiently crossed over without batting an eyelid as Sen. Bala repeated same tact in 2019 and 2023.
As far as the generality of Nigerians are concerned, Bauchi State remains one of the most complex, politically distinctive and vibrant, which is always alive with political, military and other sensitive activities, and the need to have a leader with clean character, upright personality and with political and administrative capacity needs no emphasis. And as far as those qualities and requisites are concerned, the people need to look further and praise the Almighty for Bala’s emergence in 2019.
It is only those who are perpetually cynical, abysmally and incurably pessimistic, that seems not to appreciate, the impact of Governor Bala’s administration.
Sen. Bala has barricaded himself with iron walls and concertina wires to avoid irresponsible people including praise singers, sycophants, political pimps and jobbers from diverting his attention to trivial issues of no value. He is equally a good listener and accomplished and sincere person for any trust.
Even though he has his own conscience, but he still listens to positive advices from sincere and experienced associates and aides and implements more of collective views and positive opinions in the task of building a better Bauchi State.
There is no doubt to say that under the present system of government, the people have equity, social justice and the required ambience and idiosyncrasies of peace and harmony. He is a leader adjudged as one who has the required qualifications for positive results. As he governs the state, the fact remains that the people are sure of access to good governance. The projects ongoing are evenly spread across the state to reflect the character of fair representation.
To compare the past and the present in Bauchi State is a task that can be accomplished by even a kindergatten pupil.
Sen. Bala as a Governor appreciates the honest need to carry along religious, political, community and opinion leaders and student unions, artisans, market women, and the civil society groups to chart a new dawn for an egalitarian state. To him, every one matters in the project of building a state devoid of rancor and acrimony which retarded the growth of the state for too long but now clearing the inherited garbage heaped through inept and clueless leaderships of the past.
The hallmark of Bala’s administration is the need to disabuse the minds of the people who allowed themselves, to be held hostage by the cheap sermons of selfish political, religious leaders and tribal jingoist.
Bala believes that a true community and progressive people is that which encourages leaders and cheer them when they perform the expected and listen to constructive criticisms where necessary and providing genuine and committed opposition targeted to performance.
The world over, leaders are defined by their visions, courage, empathy and the capacity to provide inspiration and hope. These qualities were sadly lacking in Bauchi State of yester years.
In history, no governorship candidate in Bauchi State ever encountered the kind of stiff opposition and baseless criticisms close to what Sen. Bala Muhammed confronted in his journey to governance. However, he continued to soldier on, often traveling the route less ever traveled just to leave his foot prints on the sands of time. Opposition leaders within and outside his party with their hunters were forced to fear and accept his successes which could accentuate their own failures and non-performance in their various claimed stewardships.
Kaura as he is fondly called has introduced some far reaching political, economic and socio-religious paradigm in the administration of Bauchi State with positive signals to the people that he is a leader to be trusted with high trust of responsibility.
At the beginning, many thought he was going to fail and throw in the towel, but soon, he has exhibited wit, character, and sagacity often shocking his detractors with his delivery and effective human development programmes and progressive initiatives.
He has a very polished wit, excellent judgment, intellectual charisma, indomitable character and a very, very humble background which all connived to give him an edge over opposition and traducers.
He expects a hand of friendship from all for silent contribution to the continuous development of the state. He may be damn wrong as some opponents are already jittery of his rising profile and are becoming envious without genuine reason other than fear of the obvious.
Whatever the case, Sen. Bala remains a daring leader to his people and one of the most adorned illustrious sons of Bauchi State that is looked upon for immediate solution to urgent problems.
For avoidance of doubt, Kaura despite the high respect he has for tradition and traditional rulers, he has never attempted politicizing the revered institution for his selfish political interest because of respect to the institution unlike his predecessors who threatened and frightened the survival of the institution severally.
What the Bauchi Governor desires for now to navigate the state to safe coast is unalloyed support, loyalty, solutions to the plight of the wretched and fervent prayers for success.
Despite all the juvenile political threats advanced by political toddlers and their nannies masquerading on the political turf, the journey to a better Bauchi State has begun. Governor Bala has already unchained the state from what Sen. Rochas Okorocha calls political ibeberism and retrogression. The march to progress is already on so join the Ark of Prophet Noah to safety coast!
Muhammad is a commentator on national issues
