In a recent viral video, Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umaru Bago, was seen ordering his security detail to slap a man who volunteered to offer the closing prayer during the 3-day fidau prayer for the late wife of the state Deputy Governor, Hajiya Zainab Yakubu Garba. The governor, who moderated the session, said towards the end: “…Let’s get a cleric to pray for us.” The man had raised his hand to collect the microphone from him to pray.
This infuriated the governor, who questioned the man’s credentials and then told his security details in Hausa Language: “I will slap you. Are you a cleric? Come here. Slap him first. I say slap him well, well! Arrest him and teach him a lesson. I have a sweet part of me and a bitter part of me.” The man immediately knelt down in front of the governor, obviously apologising and admitting that he was not a cleric before one of the security operatives whisked him away, to bouts of laughs and giggles from the audience.
Since then, the governor and his spokesmen have kept sealed lips over the incident. Spokesman to the governor, Bologi Ibrahim, has yet to respond to a request from Daily Trust seeking his reaction to the governor’s words and the way the man was treated. But he told another publication: “I am not aware of the video. Is it social media work? I will look for it; let me check.”
But records show that this outburst was not the first verbal assault exhibited by the governor in public. In September 2023, the governor threatened youths and their parents for planning to protest against the siting of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU) Teaching Hospital in Minna, the state capital, instead of Lapai town, where the mother university is located.
Speaking at the Palace of the Emir of Lapai when he paid a condolence visit over the death of the emir’s brother, Bago said: “I heard that some little pests are planning to protest against the establishment of IBBUTH in Minna. May God give them the courage to carry out the protest. But if they make their threats, they will know who Bago is. I will lock them up with their parents. There are no doubts about that. And after that, I will chase them out of Lapai permanently.”
Another video captured the moment Governor Bago threatened to jail a resident of the state who “disrupted” his speech during a public event when he visited Lavun local government council, telling him: “You are very stupid… I will get you arrested if you misbehave further.”
He has also shown some indiscretion in the past. In April 2024, a video of the governor throwing naira notes at his supporters surfaced online.
He was seen standing through the roof of a moving vehicle and throwing the notes in the air as his supporters scrambled to pick them up.
It seems Governor Bago is trying to be a populist and does portray himself with a ‘man in the street’ demeanour. During the presentation of the 2024 budget to the state House of Assembly, he wore a T-shirt and pair of trousers, and declared that he should no longer be called ‘Excellency’ or ‘Honourable’ or ‘Mr Governor’, but ‘Farmer Governor.’
He also said that civil servants working in the ministries of Works, Agriculture or others that require physical activities should dress in outfits that would enable them to function properly instead of wearing the ‘agbada’ attire.
Expectedly, Nigerians, especially residents of the state, on social media, were infuriated at the treatment meted to the man who offered to pray at the third-day prayer session. They include civil society organisations, opposition political parties and clerics.
Indeed, it is unacceptable and dehumanising for any public servant to order security agents to assault citizens, they ought to be serving.
Whatever the case, Daily Trust believes that Governor Bago reacted wrongly to the man who offered to pray.
We condemn the governor’s outburst, which was degrading and unbecoming. Every Nigerian needs to be treated with dignity and respect. We also believe that no provocation should have rightly evoked such a reaction, coming from the Number One citizen of the state. We urge the governor to be restrained in his use of words.
This is because intemperate words or actions by public officeholders could erode the trust and sensibilities of the people.
There is a need for self-control and maturity in all activities of governance as every action of the governor or any official affects his or her image and that of the office or state.
Moreover, public officials should realise that citizens have inalienable rights as enshrined in Nigeria’s Constitution and the International Convention on Human Rights, among other laws that protect their rights. In addition, there are fundamental human rights enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
We believe that no citizen should be denied any of his/her rights. The governor could have set the right example by honourably rejecting the man’s offer to pray and choosing someone else instead of ordering him to be beaten and arrested.
We also call for sanity and empathy on the path of fellow citizens, as it was in bad taste for them to be laughing and giggling in agreement and acquiescence, while another was being maltreated.
Most importantly, leaders should endeavour to set the right example for conduct through their actions, behaviours and attitudes. This is the way to go.
