Bauchi Commissioner Resigns, Accuses Governor Abubakar Of Being ‘hostile, Aggressive’

SAN FRANCISCO, December 24, (THEWILL) – The Commissioner of Budget and Planning in Bauchi State, Mr. Shehu Ningi, has resigned from his position, accusing the state governor, Mohammed Abubakar of being hostile and aggressive.

Throwing in the towel a day after his principal presented the 2017 budget to the House of Assembly, Ningi said his resignation is because Abubakar did not encourage members of his cabinet to offer advice on how to run the state.

He stated this in his resignation letter to the Governor, sent through the Secretary to State Government, Bello Illelah.

The ex-commissioner explained that the environment in which he could exercise his advisory role as member of the State Executive Council had been “unaccommodating, debilitating and non-adviser friendly”.

He said Abubakar had adopted a “hostile, aggressive and intimidating” posture that scares virtually all members of the cabinet from offering “good, frank, sincere and honest advice”.

“It appears Your Excellency prefers to listen to illiterates and sycophants. Your Excellency, this sycophancy is your creation. Consequently, everybody is now compelled to tell you what you want to hear,” he said.

Ningi lamented that the Bauchi state executive council had been turned into a “rubber stamp” for the governor.

According to him, “I'm sure Your Excellency cannot recall the number of times you shouted at me merely because I offered simple suggestions and piece of advice.

“Your Excellency may wish to know that it has become a culture for top government officials to discuss their ordeal in their respective interactions with you and the embarrassment they receive.”

Ningi also said he left because of the “unwarranted, unjustified and deliberate marginalization of himself and his group whose contributions to Governor Mohammed Abubakar's victory in both primary and general elections have been deliberately underrated and even forgotten”.

He said despite being a key member of the governing APC in the state and his constituency, he was not consulted when members of the caretaker committee of his local government council were being appointed.

The former commissioner said it was a heavy a “political exclusion and negation of the principle and practice of corresponding reciprocity” on the part of Gov. Abubakar.

He also gave as his reason for resignation, the “unnecessary and avoidable intra-party crisis in the APC in the state”.

Ningi said the crisis within the APC will cost the party dearly in the 2019 election.

He also accused the Governor of frustrating several efforts made to resolve the crisis within the APC.

The resignation was also blamed on the marginalisation and relegation of his Ningi emirate, especially as it relates to appointments and provision of developmental projects.

The former commissioner expressed the hope that his resignation would encourage Gov. Abubakar to embrace and practice the “Change Begins with me” campaign of the APC administration at the federal level.

He however expressed gratitude for the opportunity given to him to serve in the state.