The new Governor of Bauchi State, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, said the former Governor of the state, Mallam Isa Yuguda, left an empty treasury in the state.

Bauchi State civil servants have not been paid March, April and May salaries while state and local government pensioners are being owed about N12bn pension arrears by the Yuguda-led government.

Abubakar stated this on Friday in a brief speech shortly after he was sworn-in as the Governor of the state by the Acting Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Umar, at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi.

The governor was sworn-in at exactly 11.38am while his deputy, Nuhu Gidado, was earlier sworn-in at exactly 11.13am.

The governor, who said the state had been destroyed by previous administrations, especially that of Yuguda, whom he accused of leaving no money for him to run the state.

He noted that the task of rebuilding the state was enormous, appealling to the state to be patient with him as the ‘change’ they expected would not be rapid.

Abubakar added, “It was for 16 years that the state went through destruction but now, God has brought us out of it.

“The massive destruction requires a lot of work. We inherited an empty treasury from the past administration.

“It will be a very difficult task for us but I will want Bauchi people to be patient with us as we rebuild the state and fulfill our promises. We will do everything possible to bring Bauchi State out of the dungeon it is in now.”

He expressed gratitude to the teeming electorate in Bauchi for the massive votes during the elections, which brought the All Progressives Congress into power.