The immediate past Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tugar, has dismissed the perception that public office is about awarding contracts and providing employment, emphasizing that the core responsibility of a public office holder is to create an enabling environment for the people, news.ng reports.
Tugar, who was on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Wednesday, said politicians should not be seen as moneybags or merely public office holders, but as individuals who hold sensitive positions in government.
According to him, the idea of politicians having access to and control over awarding contracts is sometimes disadvantageous in Nigeria’s political cycle.
He said, “You see me as a politician and officeholder, representing them at the centre and representing them very well. The fact that the portfolio that I held, even though it wasn’t for awarding contracts and employing. In Nigerian politics, unfortunately, it’s a disadvantage because people look at you and they think, ” Okay, how much money does he have? What can I get from him?”
The former Foreign Affairs Minister claimed that while he was in office, he used his influence to attract business opportunities to Bauchi State.
According to him, while he was the country’s Ambassador to Germany, a partnership was established between investors and the state government.
“Even when I was in Germany as ambassador, there was so much that we did, attracting investors or people that were prepared to support social services in Bauchi State,” he said.
You may recall that a few weeks ago, Ambassador Yusuf resigned from his position to join the governorship race in Bauchi State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).