You Can’t intimidate, Persecute, Prosecute Me Out Of PDP To APC, Governor Bala Mohammed Declares

• Says “I’m not a terrorist. I have nothing to do with terrorism”

By Yemi Shola, Bauchi 

Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has declared unequivocally that no amount of intimidation, persecution and or prosecution will make him leave the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). 

Governor Mohammed, who spoke on Wednesday at the Executive Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Bauchi while receiving an Award of excellence as a Safety Ambassador by the Safety Institute of Nigeria, further declared that he is not a terrorist and has nothing to do with any acts of terrorism neither does he condone such criminality. 

Bala Mohammed who was visibly annoyed with the current travails of his Finance Commissioner in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stated that, the situation is a clear injustice to him and his administration. 

According to him: “I’ve been an ambassador of safety. I didn’t know it was a big thing until the eloquent presenter spoke. I am so delighted that I am receiving this on behalf of the people of Bauchi State. I am dedicating this to the people of Bauchi State because it is here we worked and we collectively earned the recognition. 

“You see, the ironies of life are full of circumstances, so much ambiguities, issues that come to beat out one into each other, and there for us to see the negative and the positives of life. I was just waking up to the realisation where I was told that I’ve been accused of terrorism as a Governor.

“Someone who is the head of the opposition, my Commissioner has been kept  incarcerated and will not be released by the EFCC. Even when I have immunity as a Governor, my name was stupendously mentioned in a motion in the formal law court in Nigeria. Me, Bala Mohammed, who is recognized without my inkling for this kind of reputation. God is wonderful.

“I don’t have to say anything, I don’t even have to go to the public court, but certainly, politics has become something else in Nigeria, but with these kind of people around, Mr Malgwi and his partners, there is still hope in the country.

“Whatever is done to denounce you, to prosecute you, somehow God will bring something to absolve you of blames, of persecution. Because with the little resources we have and with the work we have done in Bauchi, somebody will accuse us of arbitrariness.

“We have a country where 51 percent of the resources is taken by the Federal Government. In my State they have not constructed a One kilometres road, no water, even the security agencies, I am the one paying them to work for us and yet, they have the guts to talk.

“This is a country when you work, you become a valiant, you become an idiot. I have kept quiet for too long. It is because of peace and security, because as politicians, we should not be seen to be overheating the polity, but I am not a coward.

“I’m just keeping quiet for the sake of all of the common people. We don’t have to denounce and denegrade people before we get to power.”

Reacting to the implementation of the new tax law, the Governor declared: “The Federal Government should look into the issue of the tax law. In spite of all these impurities that we noticed in the tax law, they are still going ahead for its implementation, to impoverishment of our people, the impoverishment of the subnationals, we are keeping quiet.

“There is no security in the Northern part of the country more than that we have in Bauchi State. We have done this  together, through community development. I have APC here, PDP here, and NNPP here. We are living in peace because of democratic governance. We tolerate ourselves.

“There is too much intolerance. The APC-led the federal government thinks they can use the courts, the institutions of government like the EFCC, to persecute and prosecute Nigerians that are not within their own party. If they don’t stop, we are going to declare war.

“I assure you, we are not going to keep quiet anymore. I won’t allow anybody to criminalise me because I’m not in the APC, and I refuse to join the APC. And I will not join the APC. My family members, my officials have been taken like anything, locked up without any reason.

“This award is inspiring me to talk, I have not talked. I didn’t want to talk, but we still have hope in the courts, and in Nigerians. I thank the Institute for this opportunity, and I assure you it is not going to make us arrogant. Our humility and modesty will continue,” he added. 

The Governor further stated: “We will use small things to make useful things and live a landmark that will make Nigeria proud. And no Jupiter will stop us from doing this. Thank you for this. sincerely conveying our appreciation to your organization.” 

Shortly before presenting the award to the Governor, a Life member of the Safety Institute of Nigeria, Dr Haruna Malgwi, commended the Governor for the measures his administration has put in place for the safety of the people of Bauchi State particularly at the various points of services delivery. 

According to him: “We considered four criteria before arriving at the point of acceptance, and, His Excellency met all as he scored excellently well and deserved the award of Safety Ambassador. 

He further stated that the Safety Institute of Nigeria does not give recognition until it is convinced that the awardee actually deserves such an award stressing that, “I am not a politician, therefore, I will not speak as one. You have done well and you deserved to be called Safety Ambassador.”