When You Were Governor You Created Local Govts, Now You Tell Us Not To Interfere – Bala Mohammed Tackles Tinubu

[George Oshogwe Ogbolu]

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has tackled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for pushing for local government total independence from state governments​

Naija News reports that the federal government had secured a Supreme Court ruling that had given local governments financial independence.

Speaking to Daily Trust on the powers of governors, Bala Mohammed stated that governors are significantly less powerful that the President of Nigeria.

He said that Governors are chief executives in their states, but their powers have been reduced by President Tinubu.

According to him, unlike former governors, they are not exerting the same pressure on the presidency.

He said: “For example, when Tinubu was governor, he created local governments and had full control. Now, he tells us not to interfere or collaborate with local governments-how is that possible? States cannot function effectively without coordination with both the local government and the presidency. The majority of Nigerians live in local governments and states, and only Abuja is directly under the presidency. Without joint efforts and shared resources, how do we ensure security and good governance?

“People overestimate the power of governors. The federal government controls the resources. It takes the largest share and do what they want with it, while we stay silent. They argue that giving states more money would cause inflation, yet they award inflated contracts. For instance, we need railways, not more roads, but contracts are awarded for unnecessary projects.

“Governors are not as powerful as people think. If you become a governor, you’d realise it’s more about challenges than power. You have limited resources, and everyone looks to you for solutions, especially in smaller states like ours, with no manufacturing base. We respect the president, but he should also respect us and not blackmail us.”

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