Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has commended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying they have increased resources available to states and supported development at the grassroots.
Mohammed spoke on Monday when the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, visited him in Bauchi.
The governor said state governments recognised the positive impact of the Federal Government’s policies, particularly in improving their financial capacity and creating room for greater investment in infrastructure and public services.
“We are always proud of this kind of partnership. We, as subnationals, are always looking forward to the Federal Government bringing good things to us. We don’t always oppose and criticise for the sake of criticising. When we see good things, we say it. The President has done so well in so many aspects, especially in the area of finance, because the states are getting more.”
Mohammed also praised the Federal Government’s health-sector interventions, including the development of diagnostic centres and other medical infrastructure across the country.
According to him, stronger cooperation between the Federal Government and state governments would help expand access to quality healthcare and improve living standards.
“We are very grateful for what you have brought to us. Definitely, more Nigerians will have access to improved healthcare and a better standard of living,” he added.
The governor further thanked Tinubu for his administration’s security interventions in Bauchi, particularly the establishment of military battalions in Alkaleri and Tafawa Balewa.
He said the measures had contributed to restoring stability in affected communities and allowed residents who had been displaced by insecurity to return home.
“I want to really affirm our gratitude to Mr President, especially in the area of security. He has just established two battalions, one in Alkaleri and another one in Tafawa Balewa.
The people of Bauchi are very proud of him. When we were almost overrun by bandits, nobody was coming to our aid. I went to him, and he responded. He sent a high-powered military contingent under the National Security Adviser, the military services and all security organisations. They really removed all those who were trying to destroy our peace.”
Mohammed assured the visiting ministers that Bauchi would continue to work with the Federal Government to improve the welfare and quality of life of residents.
Earlier, Pate explained that the delegation was in the state to commission recently completed healthcare infrastructure delivered through the Federal Government’s health-sector expansion programme.
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One of the projects is a radiodiagnostic centre at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi. Pate said similar facilities had been developed in other parts of the country as part of efforts to improve access to advanced diagnostic services.
According to the minister, the Federal Government has established 10 radiodiagnostic centres under the initiative, with additional world-class health facilities also being developed.
“The reason for our visit is to commission major health infrastructure projects that we started about two years ago. Three years ago, we laid the foundation for the first one here. The world-class radiodiagnostic centre has now been completed.
“This makes the largest expansion of health infrastructure and equipment in Nigeria, beyond the 10 radiodiagnostic centres. There are world-class centres that are on the way.
“So, we are here to kick off by commissioning the world-class diagnostic centre at the teaching hospital, and then we will proceed to commission the other eight that have been completed all over Nigeria.”
Pate said the projects reflected the Tinubu administration’s efforts to modernise the health sector through investment in equipment, infrastructure, research and training.
He added that plans were also underway to develop multi-speciality hospitals as part of the broader expansion of healthcare services nationwide.
Oyedele, in his remarks, linked the health infrastructure projects to the impact of the administration’s economic reforms.
He explained that the reforms were designed to stabilise the macroeconomy, rebuild investor confidence and strengthen institutions, thereby creating conditions for development projects to be delivered and sustained.
“That project is a small picture of a larger point. The reforms we are pursuing nationally — stabilising the macro-economy, restoring investor confidence and strengthening our institutions — are not ends in themselves.
They exist to make projects like the one we are commissioning today possible and to make them repeatable in Bauchi State and across the country.
“None of this happens without willing partners at the state level. Your Excellency’s engagement on these projects and on the broader question of how Bauchi State participates in national growth, from security to human capital, is exactly the kind of Federal-State alignment that we need.”
Oyedele assured that the Federal Government would maintain its partnership with state governments to convert economic stability into practical benefits for Nigerians, especially in healthcare, infrastructure and productive economic activities.