Bauchi State Governor-elect, Bala Mohammed, has described the four years of Governor Mohammed Abubakar as a nightmare with scandalous consequences.
He said that the activities of the outgoing government have made the majority of Bauchi people to doubt if their children will ever have a better future.
Mohammed said this in his acceptance speech obtained by DAILY POST on Tuesday.
Bala Mohammed, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, defeated the incumbent Governor, Abubakar Mohammed of the APC in the supplementary election held in the State on Saturday.
Here is full text of the governor-elect’s acceptance speech:
Fellow citizens of Bauchi State,
In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. All praise is due to Allah, the giver of all power, the nourisher and sustainer of the whole universe for the gift of this day, on which we celebrate the good fortune of our electoral victory.
As we celebrate this hard-earned triumph, I am humbled that you have found me worthy of your trust and confidence.
I accept this responsibility with humility and I truly understand it’s meaning, namely: that you expect me to be a servant of the people, and to lead the charge for the restoration of hope over despair and good over evil.
At the core of this mandate is the crucial drive to give Bauchi State citizens a better prospect and greater opportunity for a prosperous life. Reducing poverty and empowering our citizens in the areas of Agriculture, Education, urban and rural infrastructure among others.
In accepting this mandate, I want to sincerely thank the Chairman and members of our great party, the PDP, who laboured relentlessly for my victory.
I equally commend the Director General of the Governorship Campaign Council and his team for a job well-done.
I extend very sincere appreciation to my brother, the Right Honourable Yakubu Dogara, our father and elder statesman Alhaji Bello Kirfi, OFR, other outstanding statesmen, religious and community leaders who stood by us.
I must thank also the coalition that emerged from various political parties that wholeheartedly endorsed and supported my candidature, as well as numerous professional unions, civil society organizations, Women and Youth Groups.
Most of all I want to thank each and every member of our 2.4 million voters. This victory belongs to us all. Once again you have not only made Bauchi State proud; you have restored our State’s political culture to higher pedestal of integrity and credibility to our greater glory.
Four years ago, the citizens of Bauchi State accepted a clarion call with excitement from you and voted a government they believed would usher a new and radical beginning.
This dream turned out to be a nightmare with scandalous consequences leading the majority of our people to doubt that our children will ever have a better future.
As a matter-of-fact, it is the failure of the outgoing administration to fulfill virtually all its electoral promises that boomeranged to their rejection by the citizens of Bauchi State.
You have therefore chosen through the ballot box never again to leave the destiny of our State in the hands of those who lack the vision, the motivation, and the capacity to drive the change we desperately need.
Our citizens have been subjected to grave and unprecedented economic deprivation and political persecution. As a father, I feel a sense of moral outrage that many of our once very ambitious youths have become completely demoralized and reduced to thuggery and drug addiction.
There was a time when every child in Bauchi state was guaranteed a functional education in our schools, and we will work to restore all our educational institutions to their glory again. Contrary to popular belief, our greatest strength is not our lands or our businesses but our own human capital.
I shall consider it not only my duty, but it will be my ardent desire to labour for the empowerment of our teeming youths. It also goes without saying that saving the lives of our women and children remains close to my heart. We shall establish a system which can deliver on our priority of ensuring that pregnancy is generally safe and has a happy and healthy outcome.
We are determined to launch a pro-business, pro-market agricultural and economic revolution within four years. My aim is to win over majority of the people of Bauchi State to believe in our new ideas and to believe in ourselves.
It is my desire to rapidly pull Bauchi State into 21stcentury, and I see a world of opportunities and possibilities waiting for us to explore through pragmatic innovations.
In the coming days and weeks, we shall be engaged with officials of the outgoing government with what would hopefully be a hitch-free transitional exercise.
Once we have a clearer picture of the enormity of the task of rebuilding our State, I shall be honest with you about the challenges we would face because I know the road will be long and rough.
We are indeed at a historic cross road. From 29thMay 2019 and beyond, we shall be even more tested to the utmost. But I am persuaded that we have come to this task better equipped than many; and I promise you that we shall not fail you for want of determination and ideas.
I pledge to execute the duties of the high office of the Governor of Bauchi State with dignity and honour for the benefit of all our people.
As your Governor, I propose to work to earn your respect; I will engage men and women that are best qualified to run an efficient and transparent government, and I shall hold them responsible and accountable to my administration.
In this task, I am delighted to have the able and tested Senator Baba Tela as my partner; he has a distinguished record of service to our country, and Bauchi State will be proud and lucky to have him as our Deputy Governor.
This is one journey that was supported by religious and Community Leaders who led our people with dignity and provided them with clear head to choose. The people have spoken.
Lest I procrastinate, I must thank my wife for her unwavering patience and tireless support. I equally thank the rest of my immediate and extended family for coping with my absence while on the campaign trail.
I must put on record the wonderful services of our mainstream media as well as the social media. You have made a useful input to our political socialization
Finally, we promise to run an inclusive and participatory government, and so I hasten to extend a hand of brotherhood and friendship to my fellow contestants because I believe we have everything to gain by working together.
My fellow citizens, I bring to you a message of hope.
We are a blessed State.
We are a blessed people.
Let us rededicate ourselves to building a worthy State that the whole nation would see and celebrate.
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