The Bauchi State Government has strongly denied reports circulating in the media claiming that Governor Bala Mohammed dismissed western education as a worthless pursuit.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Usman Shehu Usman, the state described the publication as a deliberate distortion of the governor’s message during an engagement with a group of youths.
Titled, “Rebuttal Against Distorted Media on the Position of Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed CON, on the Value of Western Education,”;; the statement clarified that the governor had only emphasized the importance of acquiring practical skills alongside formal education to tackle challenges like unemployment, poverty, and youth restiveness.
According to the commissioner, “Some sections of the media mischievously misquoted the governor, falsely claiming that he discouraged western education in favor of informal vocations such as driving.”;;
Usman stated that the misinformation appeared to be a calculated attempt to tarnish the image of the governor and mislead the public.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Bala Mohammed has never undermined the value of western education. He hails from a family that highly values education—his father was a renowned headmaster. The governor himself remains a staunch advocate of education and has invested heavily in the sector,”;; the statement added.
The commissioner further noted that education remains a central pillar of the governor’s development agenda, and recalled that upon taking office in 2019, Governor Mohammed declared a state of emergency in education, health, and the environment.
According to the statement, the state government has consistently allocated the largest share of its annual budget to education—exceeding the UNESCO benchmark—while also initiating the construction and rehabilitation of over 5,000 classroom blocks across Bauchi State.
Hon. Usman concluded by reaffirming the administration’s commitment to quality education and youth empowerment through both formal learning and skill acquisition.
