The Bauchi State government has criticised the performance of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Amb Yusuf Tuggar, alleging that his diplomatic blunders have humiliated the country.

The criticism is contained in a statement by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, issued through his Chief of Staff, Dr. Aminu Hassan Gamawa, on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.

This followed Tuggar's recent criticism of Mohammed over the latter's critique of President Bola Tinubu's tax reform policy.

Gamawa, who described the criticism as undiplomatic and opportunistic, accused the minister of a desperate attempt to gain favour from his political benefactors while ignoring his failings in office.

The Chief of Staff added that rather than addressing the pressing issues within his foreign ministry portfolio, Tuggar had attacked Governor Mohammed, whose agricultural policies he claimed had significantly transformed Bauchi into an economic hub.

He stressed that Bauchi has created thousands of jobs under the governor's leadership, particularly through initiatives like the Kaura Economic Empowerment Programme (KEEP), which empowered local farmers and youth with fish farming, animal husbandry, and cash crop production skills.

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“Ironically, Tuggar, a man from Bauchi State, remains blissfully ignorant of these realities. If he had spent more time in his home state instead of gallivanting across foreign capitals, he would have seen firsthand the transformation Bala Mohammed has brought to Bauchi. His detachment from the grassroots and his own local government, which President Bola Tinubu failed to win in the last election, underscores his irrelevance to the people he claims to represent,” the statement said.

Mohammed scores Tuggar low

The Bauchi government alleged that Tuggar’s performance as Foreign Affairs minister has been marred by a series of diplomatic blunders, resulting in a significant decline in Nigeria’s international standing. His tenure has been characterised by:

“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,” the statement noted.

It added that Tuggar had overseen the deterioration of Nigeria’s relationships with its Sahelian neighbours, worsening security challenges along the 1,600-kilometre border.

Gamawa further said that once effective, the Joint Multinational Anti-Terrorism Task Force has become obsolete due to the minister's alleged incompetence.

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“Nigeria has 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. 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 statement reads.

The Chief of Staff reiterated that Tuggar’s allegations against Governor Mohammed regarding land use in Bauchi are nothing more than a smear campaign, pointing out that the Governor’s Tiamin Rice Project, a large-scale agricultural initiative, has provided direct and indirect jobs to thousands of Bauchi indigenes.

“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. Bala Mohammed’s prudent use of resources has earned him national accolades, including the ‘Rural Road Infrastructure Governor of the Year 2022’ and the ‘Urban Renewal Governor of the Year 2024’. Tuggar’s failure to acknowledge these achievements is both dishonest and petty,” the statement stressed.

Gamawa counselled the minister to seek ways of redeeming his lacklustre performance, warning that constant criticism of Mohammed in the hope of running for Bauchi State Governor in 2027 will ultimately fail.

“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 and his fixation on attacking Bala Mohammed highlights his lack of focus and effectiveness.

“Tuggar’s attacks on Bala Mohammed are motivated by his ambition to contest the Bauchi governorship in 2027. However, his strategy of maligning the Governor will backfire. The people of Bauchi have witnessed Bala Mohammed’s transformative leadership and will not be swayed by the baseless rhetoric of an absentee politician,” the statement concluded.