Opposition kicks as Bauchi governor lawmakers, budget N3.4 billions for fuel, travels

The opposition People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in Bauchi State has accused Governor Bala Muhammed and the state’s lawmakers of insensitivity for appropriating over N3.4bn for fueling vehicles and travels in the 2025 fiscal year.

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The party’s spokesperson, Wada Abdullahi, in a statement on Friday, said it was time to interrogate the priorities of those in power and to hold them accountable.

“First, we take a hard look at the N1 billion earmarked for fuelling vehicles and generators for the government House. Half of this staggering amount, N500 million, is set aside for fuelling motor vehicles, while a parallel N500 million is allocated for fuelling generators.

“This total of N1 billion not only highlights the extravagant lifestyles of our leaders but paints a clear picture of their mismanagement of state resources. While families in Bauchi struggle to make ends meet, our government seems more focused on extravagance than on the pressing needs of its citizens,” Mr Abdullahi stated.

The opposition said the amount proposed for the benefit of the governor and a few lawmakers could have been used to address the infrastructural decay in the health and education sectors.

“As if that was not enough, we are faced with the shocking revelation that the state House of Assembly plans to squander an additional N1.4 billion on travel expenses! This begs the question: how many life-changing healthcare facilities and schools could be built with such a monstrous amount? Instead, our leaders have prioritised their whims over the significant issues plaguing our communities—issues that require urgent attention and funding.

“To add insult to injury, the office of the Bauchi State Secretary to State Government is budgeting another N1 billion for international travel. While our hospitals lack basic medical equipment, our schools go underfunded and our roads remain in disrepair, the government has decided that jaunts abroad are far more important than addressing the pressing issues facing our communities. This serves as a reminder that those in power are more concerned with self-aggrandisement than with serving the interests of their constituents,” the opposition party warned.

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It warned that Governor Mohammed and the lawmakers that the people were watching and advised them to cease “this treacherous path of misappropriation and mismanagement of public funds.”

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The party, while calling on the residents to rise against wasteful spending by elected officials, said the residents deserve leaders who serve their best interests, not those who indulge in wasteful spending.

“We call on the citizens of Bauchi State to rise against this culture of impunity and demand better from their elected officials. We must unite in our quest for good governance, and an end to the systematic looting of our resources. The time has come for us to reclaim our state from the hands of those who would see it perish under their greed,” the PRP added.