By Olaitan Ibrahim
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has faced intense backlash following his recent criticism of Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, over the latter’s critique of the country’s tax reform policy.
The attack, described as undiplomatic and opportunistic, has been strongly condemned by Dr. Aminu Hassan Gamawa, Chief of Staff to the Governor of Bauchi State.
In a statement issued on behalf of the Governor, Dr. Gamawa accused Tuggar of attempting to gain favour from his political benefactors while failing to address the shortcomings within his own office.
The Chief of Staff pointed out that instead of focusing on his foreign ministry duties, Tuggar resorted to attacking a Governor whose agricultural policies have significantly transformed Bauchi State into an economic hub.
It highlighted the creation of thousands of jobs under Mohammed’s leadership, particularly through initiatives such as the Kaura Economic Empowerment Programme (KEEP), which empowers local farmers and youth in skills such as fish farming, animal husbandry, and cash crop production.
“Ironically, Tuggar, a man from Bauchi State, remains blissfully ignorant of these realities. If he had spent more time in his home state instead of gallivanting across foreign capitals, he would have seen firsthand the transformation Bala Mohammed has brought to Bauchi. His detachment from the grassroots and his own local government, which President Bola Tinubu failed to win in the last election, underscores his irrelevance to the people he claims to represent,” the statement read.
The statement went on to criticize Tuggar’s performance as Minister of Foreign Affairs, highlighting a series of diplomatic failures that have led to a significant decline in Nigeria’s international standing.
According to the statement: “Under Tuggar’s mismanagement, ECOWAS, a once united and robust sub-regional body, is now in disarray. His poor advice to President Tinubu on the crises in the Sahel has led to the withdrawal of key member states like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. This is a historic failure, unprecedented in the history of Nigeria’s leadership in West Africa.”
The statement added that Tuggar’s handling of Nigeria’s relations with its Sahelian neighbours has deteriorated, worsening security challenges along the 1,600-kilometre border, adding that the once-effective Joint Multinational Anti-Terrorism Taskforce has now been rendered obsolete due to Tuggar’s incompetence.
“Nigeria has suffered severe diplomatic setbacks under Tuggar, including the embarrassing visa ban and subsequent equivocations by the United Arab Emirates. His inability to resolve these issues highlights his failure as a foreign minister.
“Tuggar has dragged Nigeria into the orbit of French hegemony in Africa, abandoning the country’s historically Afrocentric foreign policy. This shift has alienated nations fighting against French neocolonial dominance and has positioned Nigeria as a willing accomplice to France’s imperial ambitions,” the statement read.
The Chief of Staff further dismissed Tuggar’s allegations against Governor Mohammed regarding land use in Bauchi, branding them as a smear campaign.
He pointed to the Governor’s Tiamin Rice Project, a large-scale agricultural initiative that has provided direct and indirect jobs to thousands of Bauchi indigenes.
“Furthermore, Tuggar’s insinuations about increased federal allocations to Bauchi reveal his ignorance of the economic realities faced by states across Nigeria. Inflation, the new minimum wage, and the federal government’s poorly executed macroeconomic policies have strained state finances nationwide.
“Bala Mohammed’s prudent use of resources has earned him national accolades, including the ‘Rural Road Infrastructure Governor of the Year 2022’ and the ‘Urban Renewal Governor of the Year 2024’. Tuggar’s failure to acknowledge these achievements is both dishonest and petty,” the statement added.
In closing, the statement advised Tuggar to find ways of redeeming his performance as Foreign Minister, cautioning that his constant criticism of Governor Mohammed in hopes of running for the Bauchi governorship in 2027 would ultimately fail.
“Tuggar’s tenure as Foreign Affairs Minister has been defined by inertia, incompetence, and irrelevance. President Tinubu’s frequent avoidance of Tuggar during foreign trips speaks volumes about the minister’s redundancy. Tuggar’s inability to address pressing diplomatic issues, coupled with his fixation on attacking Bala Mohammed, highlights his lack of focus and effectiveness.
“Tuggar’s attacks on Bala Mohammed are clearly motivated by his ambition to contest the Bauchi governorship in 2027. However, his strategy of maligning the Governor will backfire. The people of Bauchi have witnessed Bala Mohammed’s transformative leadership and will not be swayed by the baseless rhetoric of an absentee politician,” the statement concluded.
Reiterating that Governor Mohammed’s principled stance on national issues, including his valid criticism of the tax reform policy, reflects his commitment to the welfare of Nigerians, the statement urged Tuggar to remove the log from his own eye before attempting to point out the speck in Governor Mohammed’s.