Mallam Isa Yuguda is one governor whose Bauchi State has witnessed many socio-economic challenges capable of dampening his spirits and stifling development. But, in spite of that, the governor is defiant, working to fulfill the mandate for which he was elected, first in 2007, on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and, later in 2011, on the platform of the PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP. Although Yuguda, popularly referred to as Mallam, rarely publicises what he does, he says he is fulfilled, having changed the face of the state with the provision of numerous facilities and projects that the state has not seen in its over 30 years of existence.
In this interview,the governor boasts that he has nothing to hide and will not attempt to impose his lackey on the people at the end of his tenure to cover his track. He points out that he has abolished the dichotomy between indigenes and non-indigenes in Bauchi to give residents equal opportunities irrespective of state of origin, religion or tribe. Excerpts:
What is the state government doing with community radio stations instead of providing more concrete projects for the people?
What do you do with communication as a media person? You see, you must find a veritable platform to communicate effectively with the people because they elected you in the first place. Community radio is a wonderful and very useful vehicle to achieving the desired synergy because it makes sense to them. They see it as their own. In Bauchi State, for instance, we have over 50 linguistic groups and each of them needs a means of communication among themselves and with others in the state. Of course you know that it is not possible to speak all the 50 languages on Bauchi Radio. So, what we do is that we speak the language that binds all of us, which is Hausa.