Governor Bala Mohammed has appointed a new chairman for Bauchi State Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
There was unrest however, as for some unexplainable reasons, the appointment was deviated by certain elements within the government, in favour of Hamza Waziri, a physical challenged person who according to speculations, is a non-indigene of Bauchi State.
The appointment, Inclusive News Network, INN learnt sparked complaints among indigenous Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the State. Consequently, a petition has been filed against Waziri’s appointment by aggrieved individuals and groups.
Among the petitioners were Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) Bauchi State chapter, Bauchi state Blind Association, Bauchi Deaf association, lepers association, physical challenged association, PDP concerned members and some individuals in the State.
In the petition filed on November 19, 2020, Waziri was allegedly disqualified because he is not an indigene of Bauchi State and also had a very poor relationship with his association.
The petition also stated that Waziri is a bonafide indigene of Gombe State from Dukku Local Government Area.
Also Read: Confusion As Gov. Bala Disengages Hamza Waziri, Appoints New Chairman For Bauchi Disability Agency
The petition reads: “He is not a PDP member and he didn’t defect to PDP. Appointing him as our chairman will seriously affect this administration politically and incite disunity among us since he is an APC member.”
The petition also accused Waziri of disrespecting traditional rulers and embezzlement of three hundred thousand (₦300,000) meant for constructing a borehole at a special school without proper explanation as another reason for his removal from office.
The petition continued: “Sir with the above complaints against Hamza Waziri, we collectively urge you to kindly terminate his appointment and appoint Comr. Ibrahim Mohammed (Kaura) who was your campaign director for Persons with Disabilities, amongst many efforts made by him to bring this administration into power.
“Comr. Ibrahim Mohammed was inaugurated together with other permanent members on 17 Nov. 2020. Appointment letters were given to the permanent members but Ibrahim Mohammed couldn’t get his’ after the ministry of religion affairs was informed that he is a civil servant. However, the agency’s constitution and extant laws does not stop a civil servant from holding political appointments.”
Waziri has since denied the allegations leveled against him, adding that he’s an indigene of Jama’ara Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
His defense reads: “I am non-partisan and solely work and deal with individuals, groups or entities who truly mean to advance the lot of PWDs and the rest of humanity. I am proud to say that I was born and raised in Bauchi and that Bauchi State sponsored my university education to Malaysia. Additionally, I received a National Honors Award from Bauchi State during my National Youths Service Corps year.
“I hail from nearby Gombe which was formerly part and parcel of Bauchi State. And unless I am mistaken, I believe the good government and person of H.E. Senator Bala AbdulKadir Mohammed will pardon any factual error on my part. Any Nigerian citizen is accorded the right to be employed in the service of the Nigerian people; in as much as the said citizen is located on sovereign Nigerian soil. So, all this comes as a rude shock, but I stand to be corrected.”
With just two months of his appointment, Waziri has done well in his administration, he had distributed food items to Persons with Disabilities in Bauchi during the Yuletide season, he also set new year resolutions of reforming education and empowerment for Persons with Disabilities. However, as fate will have it, he was to lose the post to the person originally appointed by the State Government