The incoming Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir has been advised to ensure that he gives priority to good governance and the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
The Governor-elect was also urged to settle the backlog of pensions and gratuities owed retired civil servants in the state with a view to bringing succour to them and improving their plight.
The advice was given by Lawyers in Bauchi state under the aegis of the ‘Body of Bauchi Lawyers of Conscience’ (BOBALAC) which also appealed to the Governor-elect, to ensure timely completion of the 4.5km Federal Low-cost to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) road in the state capital initiated by the outgoing administration four years ago but yet to be completed.
They also charged the incoming Governor to hasten the completion of the project within his first 100 days in office ‘as the abandoned road has been causing serious problems to residents of the area and motorists especially during rainy season’ which is setting in.
Checks by our correspondent revealed that the Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, had on Tuesday, December, 29th 2015 flagged off the township road at the cost of N2.3b.
The Governor had said that the 4.5km road awarded to Qunnees Nigeria Limited would be completed within 18 months, however, our correspondent observed that the road is yet to be completed as it at 40 per cent completion stage, a development that has given residents of the area and other users of the road cause for concern particularly during the rainy season.
The group made the appeals in a media statement signed by its Chief Convener and Secretary, Barristers Shipi Rabo and Musa Abdullahi, respectively, which was issued to journalists in Bauchi.
The Lawyers stated that: “We call on the incoming administration of Senator Bala Mohammed, to live up to its billing by getting set to provide a new lively governance in the state where the issues or problems that characterized the reign of the out-going administration would be addressed”.
It further stated that, “As we all settle down and look forward to the new era annals of the leadership of Bauchi State, we deem it pertinent to remind one another on the need for all of us to be guided by the dictates of the common good and what is public interest at all times.”
The group also charged the incoming Governor to put the interest of Bauchi State and its citizens first in everything he does adding that nothing must be reduced to a personal thing, “let what will be the impacts of our actions or omissions always reflect in our decisions”.
” On our part, BOBALAC will sustain the tempo and momentum already generated by a collective struggle to have the desired change at the helm of our affairs”, the statement reads.
The group also hailed the Federal High Court’s judgement that quashed the suit filed by the incumbent Governor, Mohammed Abubabakar, which had stopped the collation of the entire gubernatorial results of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area thereby paving the way for the emergence of Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir as the next Governor of the State.
They described the judgement as a victory for democracy, the rule of law and triumph for the people noting that it had regards to the relevant provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and other extant regulations.
They stated that: “It is our point that His Lordship, Ekwo’s dismissal of the suit on the ground of lack of jurisdiction represents the correct position of the law, that the subject matter of the suit falls within the purview of the jurisdiction and Election Petition Tribunal and not conventional, regular Courts like the Federal High Court where the plaintiffs instituted the instant suit.”