The tenure of Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has been described as “nothing short of disastrous.”
The assertion was made by Bauchi State Government which took a swipe at the Minister stating that, he only has “Legacy of Failure in the Foreign Ministry.”
The government through the Chief of Staff, Government House, Dr. Aminu Hassan Gamawa, was reacting to recent statements by the Minister during a session on Channels TV during in which he lashed at the Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir.
According to the CoS, “Under his watch, Nigeria’s foreign policy has faltered, and the country’s standing in international relations has diminished.
In a statement titled ‘Tuggar: Remove the log from your eyes!’, Gamawa stated that, “Collapse of ECOWAS Leadership: 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.”
On breakdown of relations with neighbors, he stated that,”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.”
On diplomatic humiliation, the CoS stated that, “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.”
Speaking further on alignment with Neocolonial Powers, he stressed that,
“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.”
According to him,”The recent tirade by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, against the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, over the latter’s valid criticism of the tax reform policy, reflects a profound disconnect from both reality and his responsibilities.
“Tuggar’s undiplomatic and opportunistic outburst further exposes his desperation to curry favor with his new political benefactors, as he lacks any substantive achievements in his current role to proudly showcase,” he added.
The CoS stressed that he is disconnected and out of touch stating that,”Tuggar’s attack on Bala Mohammed is nothing more than an attempt to remain politically relevant by targeting the Governor, whose agricultural policies have transformed Bauchi State into a hub of economic activity.”
He added that,”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.”
Gamawa who is from same locality with the Minister stated that, “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.”
He further stated that, “Tuggar’s baseless allegations against Bala Mohammed regarding land use in Bauchi are nothing but a smear campaign. The Governor’s Tiamin Rice Project, a large-scale agricultural initiative, has provided direct and indirect jobs to thousands of Bauchi indigenes.”
According to him,”Tuggar’s dismissal of such efforts as “land grabbing” is a gross misrepresentation that belies the facts. His comments demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of large-scale agriculture in driving economic development.”
“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,” he added.
He added that,”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.”
Aminu Hassan Gamawa declared that it is the desperation for 2027 that is driving Tuggar’s attacks on Bala Mohammed stating that,”they are clearly 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.”
He added that Tuggar’s attempts to undermine Bala Mohammed are both desperate and futile stressing that, “His lackluster performance as Foreign Affairs Minister, coupled with his detachment from the realities of Bauchi State, renders his criticisms hollow and unconvincing. Tuggar should focus on addressing the glaring failures of his ministry rather than fixating on a Governor whose record of service and integrity remains unblemished.”
By: Yemi Kanji
