Governor Bala Mohammed has commenced the renovation, remodelling, and upgrading of the Bauchi State House of Assembly complex for the sum of ₦7.8 billion.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Bala made this known while speaking on Tuesday during the official flag-off ceremony.
The governor said, “The renovation, remodeling and upgrading of the complex we are witnessing today is a case of equal and just treatment for all the three arms of government which constitute a tripod upon which the government rests.”
He further stated, “The need for the complex to be put in proper shape and be provided with the necessary facilities, befitting its status has therefore become imperative.
“This project has been awarded at the cost of N7.8 billion for which 50 per cent of the money has already been approved and paid to the contractor and it has a 12 months completion period.”
“Indeed, the mutual understanding and respect between the executive and the legislative arms of government has become responsible for the seamless delivery of the dividend of democracy during our time,” he added.
Earlier, Abubakar Suleiman, the Bauchi State House of Assembly Speaker, explained that the complex was first built and inaugurated during the first republic in the 1980s when the late Abubakar Tatari-Ali was the governor of the state.
“On behalf of all members of the Bauchi state house of assembly, management staff, and all other workers expressed our sincere gratitude to the governor for his visionary leadership and commitment to the development of not only the legislative infrastructure but the entire infrastructure in the state,” the Speaker said.
“This renovation signifies not only a physical upgrade but also a renewed dedication to transparency, efficiency and service delivery to our constituents,” Suleiman noted.
He added, “The project will modernise our facilities, enhance our working environment and enable us to better fulfil our constitutional responsibilities and service delivery to our constituents.”
He urged members, staff, and the people of Bauchi to consider the project as “a collective effort and an investment in democracy, governance and future generations.”
Commissioner for Housing and Environment, Danlami Kaule, assured that his ministry would ensure quality and timely delivery of the project.
Recently, Dr. Abubakar Ahmad, a lecturer at the Federal College of Horticulture, Gombe State, was released from Bauchi prison after spending one week, following his detention on the orders of Shamsuddeen Bala Mohammed, son of Bauchi State Governor Mohammed.
His release followed a series of explosive exposés by human rights activist and publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, detailing widespread corruption involving the governor, his family members, and cronies within the Bauchi State Government.
Ahmad had earlier been remanded for 21 days on charges bordering on alleged defamation, injurious falsehood, and criminal intimidation after he posted a video of Shamsuddeen dancing with his wife on social media.
The video reportedly angered the governor’s son, who petitioned the police, leading to Ahmad’s arrest and arraignment.
Sowore accused Governor Bala’s son, Shamsuddeen, of operating dozens of bank accounts used to launder public funds through shady companies and land allocations.
One of the reports revealed that a massive tract of government land, located north of Bauchi Central Market, was seized from poor residents and handed over to a company linked to Shamsuddeen. Another exposé implicated the governor’s wife in the illegal allocation of a sprawling two-storey building on government property.
One particularly damning revelation involved an abandoned road construction project awarded to a company allegedly linked to the governor’s family. Despite spanning from Yalwa Filling Station to the Wikki Oil Roundabout, the multi-year project remains incomplete, while funds remain unaccounted for.
Sowore’s persistent reporting, along with mounting public outrage over the governor’s alleged abuse of power, is believed to have prompted the sudden shift toward a more lenient legal approach in Ahmad’s case.
In the post, Sowore wrote, “Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed opened up to 50 bank accounts to launder money from Bauchi State on behalf of his father and CORPORATE fronts and his mother, and he wants to be oppressing our brother, Dr. Abubakar Ahmad, because he wants to use stolen funds to buy the Senatorial position in Bauchi so as to continue robbing the state.”
