By Khalid Idris Doya
The Governorship candidate of the People's Redemption Party (PRP) in the 2027 Bauchi State governorship election, Senator Shehu Buba Umar, has accused Governor Bala Mohammed of awarding state contracts to himself and members of his family.
Buba made the allegation while inaugurating his 2027 governorship campaign council, where he criticised the state government's handling of public resources, workers' welfare and the payment of retirement benefits.
He said the alleged concentration of government contracts in the hands of the governor and his relatives had deprived other indigenes of Bauchi State of opportunities to participate in the state's infrastructure development.
According to him, although road construction remains important, the government should ensure that indigenous contractors are given opportunities to execute projects.
"Everyone knows how this administration, which we intend to remove, came to power. It has shown little concern for the plight of the people of Bauchi. Essentially, it is a government run for the benefit of one family," he alleged.
He added, "The only visible activity taking place is road construction, and although roads are important, the contracts are awarded to the governor himself because he owns the company. Can anyone identify a single indigene of Bauchi State who has been awarded a road construction contract? Is there any company owned by a Bauchi indigene participating in the road projects across the state?"
The PRP candidate promised that, if elected governor, his administration would ensure that government contracts were accessible to qualified indigenes and businesses in Bauchi State.
He also expressed concern over alleged delays in the payment of workers' salaries, claiming that civil servants sometimes wait for months before receiving their full entitlements.
Buba promised to reform the state's civil service and introduce measures to ensure the regular and timely payment of workers' salaries.
"All this high-handedness currently taking place in Bauchi State will come to an end. It is heartless for someone to work for days and months without receiving the salary needed to feed himself and his family. Withholding people's salaries is unjust," he said.
On the welfare of retired civil servants, the senator pledged to clear outstanding gratuities and other entitlements running into billions of naira if elected governor.
He alleged that thousands of retirees were yet to receive their gratuities, accusing the state government of making promises without fulfilling them.
"Thousands of retirees are owed gratuities by the state government, yet they remain unpaid. Recently, there has been a deceptive charade and false claims that they would be paid, but it has only been a way of misleading them.
"We call on the state government to release the funds it has accumulated and settle the outstanding gratuities owed to retired civil servants," he said.
On the 2027 general elections, Buba warned against any attempt to manipulate the electoral process in Bauchi State, insisting that his party would resist electoral malpractice and protect its votes.
He expressed confidence that the PRP would win the governorship election, urging members of the campaign council to intensify grassroots mobilisation and reach voters across the state's communities.
He also called on party members to work closely with the newly inaugurated campaign council, adding that other legislative candidates of the party would soon inaugurate their respective campaign committees.
Earlier, the PRP State Chairman, Abdulrahman Yusuf Muazu, said the campaign council was carefully constituted to reflect different segments of the state's political and social landscape.
He urged members to regard their appointments as a responsibility and a privilege, stressing that their selection did not make them superior to other party members.
Muazu cautioned against complacency and arrogance, urging the appointees to work diligently towards attracting more members and supporters to the party.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the Campaign Council, Hon. Ibrahim Makama, said the council was prepared to commence mobilisation activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Makama described membership of the council as a privilege and pledged the commitment of its members to the PRP and its governorship candidate, with the aim of securing victory at all levels.
He urged party members and supporters to conduct issue-based campaigns, while avoiding character assassination, calumny and violence.
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