Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.
By ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed has said that the country is divided as a result of the various protest across the county and therefore, called on journalists not to heat up the polity by writing sensational reports.
The Governor stated this while speaking to journalists in an interview at his residence in Yelwan Duguri, Alkaleri local government area of Bauchi, shortly after casting his vote in the local government elections on Saturday.
He urged the media to use its reportage in uniting Nigerians in the face of the protests against police brutality in the nation adding that although the police has it’s limitations, the country still needs the police to maintain peace.
Mohammed said: “Nigeria is so much divided now in the face of the ongoing protest against the SARS unit of the police.
“You as journalists should not aggravate the situation, but should unite Nigerians by disseminating the rigth information, such that will not heatup the polity.”
Speaking on the local government election, the governor said it was a fulfilment of his campaign promise to the people to conduct free and fair local council polls, saying he has proved his critics wrong that the government will not conduct local government election in the state.
Mohammed also explained that his critics petitioned him due to the fact that they were not in close contact with the people of the state and advised them to always cross-check facts.
He said: “This is one of those things we are doing that we are very happy that at least, we are salvaging our campaign promises. Though, I cannot say anything about the candidates, but we have seen how orderly people are and they look very happy to be allowed to exercise their franchise rights.
“I have promised the people of Bauchi and people of Nigeria that Bauchi state is going to have the most credible LG elections in the history of Bauchi state since 2008.It is not because we are better or we are geniuses, it is just because we have to go by the rule of law and fear of Allah.
“They did not know that even before they made the petition, we had gone very far in terms of making preparations to reposition BASIEC and to do all the needfuls for us to hold the LG elections.
“I want to advise them to always cross-check and make sure they deepen stakeholding in a manner that whatever we are saying, we should have some dint of proves and reality.”