Bauchi’s Priorities: Why Government Keeps Getting Public Matters Wrong -By Yasir Shehu Adam

In every democracy, the government is judged not by speeches, ceremonies, or political propaganda, but by the quality of life of the people. Roads, schools, hospitals, pensions, jobs, and security remain the true scorecard of leadership. Sadly, in Bauchi State today, many citizens are asking one painful question: Why does the government keep getting public priorities wrong?

Since the 2019 election campaign, Governor Bala Mohammed made several promises to the people. Among the most emotional was the promise to settle outstanding pensions and gratuities owed to retired workers. Pensioners who spent decades serving the state believed relief was finally coming. Yet years later, many retirees still complain of hardship, unpaid entitlements, and suffering in old age.

A government that delays the welfare of pensioners sends a dangerous message: that those who served yesterday are no longer valued today.

Education in Distress

If one visits many public schools across Bauchi State, the picture is troubling. In several communities, classrooms remain overcrowded, furniture is inadequate, and teaching materials are scarce. Some students learn in environments that are far below modern educational standards.

Teachers, who are the backbone of learning, often work under difficult conditions. Motivation is low when facilities are poor, support is weak, and resources are missing. How can we expect excellent results when the foundation itself is weak?

Education is not an area for excuses. It is the engine of development. Any government that neglects schools is indirectly weakening the future of the state.

Healthcare Still Crying for Help

The health sector tells a similar story. Many primary healthcare centres in rural and semi-urban areas lack enough qualified medical personnel, drugs, equipment, and basic infrastructure. For ordinary citizens, especially the poor, these centres are often the first and only hope for treatment.

When clinics lack workers and essential tools, preventable illnesses become deadly. Pregnant women, children, and the elderly suffer the most.

Healthcare should never be treated as a secondary issue. It is a life-and-death responsibility.

The Problem of Wrong Priorities

This is why public anger rises whenever the government spends heavily on matters seen as less urgent while core sectors remain weak. Citizens naturally ask: Why buy luxury items when schools lack desks? Why celebrate projects when pensioners are waiting? Why spend on prestige when hospitals need staff and medicine?

Leadership is not about doing what is popular among political allies. Leadership is about doing what is necessary for the majority.

What the People Expect

The people of Bauchi are not asking for miracles. They are asking for simple, responsible governance:

Pay pensioners what they earned.

Upgrade public schools and support teachers.

Equip hospitals and employ health workers.

Spend public funds transparently.

Put citizens first before politics.

Final Word

Bauchi State has enormous potential. It has intelligent youth, hardworking farmers, civil servants, traders, and communities ready for progress. But progress only comes when leadership places the public needs above political display.

The real legacy of any administration will not be convoys, ceremonies, or headlines. It will be whether the common man lived better, learned better, and received better healthcare.

That is the question history will ask. And that is the answer the people are still waiting for.

Yasir Shehu Adam (Dan Liman) Journalist and Writer from Bauchi.