By Idris Khalid
A gubernatorial aspirant under the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) in the 2011 elections in Bauchi state, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar described residential accommodation new construction at the Bauchi Government House as a mere misplaced priority.
According to him, with the present rate of high population growth, coupled with the increasing rate of unemployment in the country and Bauchi in particular, the idea should have found a solution to the problems of unemployed youths and women in the state.
Tuggar told journalists at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport yesterday shortly after his arrival to Bauchi from Germany enroute Abuja that any politician aspiring for elective office has his own achievable policies and programmes.
“At this crucial period of economic meltdown, it is not advisable for one to construct accommodation for the governor and his family because things are being managed. As a common man can manage his livelihood, the same should apply to the governor”, he said.
Tuggar, now Nigerian ambassador to the republic of Germany said if he is occupying the position of the governor of a state, he would direct his attention to the development of youths and women through skill acquisition and vocational training.
“As I’m now staying in Germany, I have acquainted myself with laudable programmes of that country, especially in the areas of youth skill acquisition and vocational programme where youths are being trained on specific areas of country’s needs unlike in Nigeria where public office holders misplaced priorities for self-aggrandizement”.
He explained that in Germany, the youths are being trained on specific areas of the country’s needs, unlike in Nigeria where governments execute policies and programmes based on self-centeredness to the detriment of the common man who voted into power.
He noted that a situation where youths are being trained indiscriminately without recourse to specific areas of needs for the state or country is retrogressively anti-growth and development and mere waste of human resources.
On the pressure being mounted on him to vie for Bauchi governorship come 2023, Ambassador Tuggar said he is still consulting key stakeholders, and the electorate in particular to know the sentiments and general direction leading to the elections.
He stated explained that Bauchi has a long history of political dynamism, hence the need consults as many as possible when aspiring for a governorship seat, stressing “Afterall, it is now 2021 which is not elections year, 2023 is the year for general elections, so there is still ample time”.
On the clamour for politicians from Bauchi North aspiring for governorship seat on APC platform, himself inclusive, Tuggar stated that there is room for ranks closing among them as, according to him, aspiring for an elective office is not a do or die affair.
“There is the need to close ranks, certainly because this is easiest for the party, but the most important thing is to allow people exercise their democratic rights, something that is open to everyone, every citizen that needs some criteria has the right to contest the governorship”.
He added, “So it is equally important to allow people to go through the process to compete in earnest, it is supposed to be a contest of ideas, it seems the people, the general public will get the best out of it”.
Ambassador Tuggar however noted with dismay that some politicians seek elective office only to be relevant in the political arena, others to passionately serve the people, while some contest the governorship seat only to attract immunity as roof to cover the public funds they siphoned.
On the Yusuf Tuggar Foundation, he said the organization is doing well in terms of philanthropy, and will continue to do tangible things without government forces, concluding “Public service is just about serving the public in any capacity”.
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