The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has accused Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, of misusing public funds to seize land and properties from small-scale farmers and urban dwellers, allegedly under the guise of redevelopment and commercial farming projects.
Speaking during an interview with Liberty TV, Tuggar criticized the governor for his comments against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, urging him to focus on governance instead.
“When it comes to money issues, the governor should not put his mouth there because the earnings and allocation he is getting has doubled but we have not seen any improvement, no change in what he is doing,” the Minister said.
He further disclosed that Governor Mohammed received ₦8.8 billion federal allocation in October 2024 and an additional ₦9 billion in November but has failed to provide any accountability for the funds.
“Instead of using the money for social services and infrastructure, such as education, health, and addressing out-of-school children, he is busy using such funds to buy properties and land from the poor citizens of Bauchi. This affects both the rich and the poor,” Tuggar alleged.
The Minister also claimed that Governor Mohammed has been targeting homes in Government Reserved Areas (GRA) and evicting residents under the pretext of state projects, describing it as a ploy to divert public funds.
All the governor is currently doing is “buying houses from the GRA; he evicts people from their house that they are going to do projects. This is another way of syphoning funds from the state coffers,” Tuggar concluded.