My predecessor spent N50m for a single trip to Abuja — Bauchi gov

The Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has said that his predecessor, Mohammed Abubakar, spent N50m to travel to Abuja from the state each time he travelled.

He said this during a media chat to mark his first year in office held at the Command Guest House, Bauchi.

He reacted to a question on allegations by the opposition All Progressives Congress in the state which alleged that the present government does not follow due process in awarding contracts.

He said, “I don’t go to Abuja very often. In the past, the former occupant (former governor Mohammed Abubakar) spent N50m to go to Abuja, just to go to Abuja, and to them, that is due process.

“N50m just to go to Abuja, it is there on record, I don’t even take it. My protocol, yes, as a governor, will take N3m to N5m to go with me. We are not saying this to beguile anybody but it is there. If you take N50m times four, that is N20m, you cannot do anything, you need projects.”

“We know we are being prudent and we will continue to be prudent and we are not looking for anything, God has given us everything. I am the most beguiled, investigated and denigrated person, yet the people have faith in me.

Reacting, an aide to the former Bauchi State governor, Ali M. Ali, described the allegations as “diversionary”.

He said, “They should stop giving out misguided and misleading information to the public.

“They said we should refund N1tn, it’s just to divert attention because they’ve seen heat from the people that helped them into power.

“Now, they are bringing the issue of taking N50 million to travel to Abuja every trip, how can that N50 million be spent because anytime he went to Abuja, he usually stays in his house. How is that possible? On who and who would N50 million be spent on? This is unthinkable.”