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 made available to DAILY POST 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.
