Thursday, January 30, 2025 - Bauchi State Government has taken a swipe at the Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, describing his performance in office as disastrous.
This came in reaction to Tuggar’s criticism of Governor Bala Mohammed.
According to the state government, Tuggar’s attacks on the governor were
clearly motivated by his ambition to contest the Bauchi governorship in 2027.
In a statement on Wednesday, signed by Dr.
Aminu Hassan Gamawa, Chief of Staff, Government House, Bauchi, he stated that
Tuggar’s tenure as Foreign Affairs Minister “has been nothing short of
disastrous.”
He noted that under Tuggar’s watch, “Nigeria’s foreign policy has
faltered, and the country’s standing in international relations has
diminished.”
While identifying what it termed a legacy of failure in the Foreign
Ministry, the Bauchi Government said “Under Tuggar’s mismanagement, ECOWAS, a
once-united and robust sub-regional body, is now in disarray.
“His poor advice to President Tinubu on the crises in the Sahel has led
to the withdrawal of key member states like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. This
is a historic failure, unprecedented in the history of Nigeria’s leadership in
West Africa.
“Breakdown of Relations with Neighbors: Tuggar has overseen the collapse
of Nigeria’s relationships with its Sahelian neighbors, exacerbating insecurity
along the 1,600-kilometer border.
“The once-effective Joint Multinational Anti-Terrorism Taskforce is now
defunct, thanks to Tuggar’s incompetence.
“Diplomatic Humiliation: Nigeria suffered severe diplomatic setbacks
under Tuggar, including the embarrassing visa ban and subsequent equivocations
by the United Arab Emirates. His inability to resolve these issues highlights
his failure as a foreign minister.
“Alignment with Neocolonial Powers: Tuggar has dragged Nigeria into the
orbit of French hegemony in Africa, abandoning the country’s historically
Afrocentric foreign policy.
“This shift has alienated nations fighting against French neocolonial
dominance and has positioned Nigeria as a willing accomplice to France’s
imperial ambitions.”
The government added that Tuggar’s allegations against Bala Mohammed
regarding land use in Bauchi were nothing but a smear campaign.
“Furthermore, Tuggar’s insinuations about increased federal allocations
to Bauchi reveal his ignorance of the economic realities faced by states across
Nigeria.
“Inflation, the new minimum wage, and the federal government’s poorly
executed macroeconomic policies have strained state finances nationwide,” the
state government said.
Tuggar’s tenure as Foreign Affairs Minister has been defined by inertia,
incompetence, and irrelevance.
“President Tinubu’s frequent avoidance of Tuggar during foreign trips
speaks volumes about the minister’s redundancy.
“Tuggar’s inability to address pressing diplomatic issues, coupled with
his fixation on attacking Bala Mohammed, highlights his lack of focus and
effectiveness,” it further stated.
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