Out of goodwill and respect for competence, many of us have been reluctant to openly criticize the Honorable Minister of Health, Professor Ali Pate. This restraint is deliberate. Professor Pate is not an illiterate man. He is a professor, a technocrat, and a globally exposed expert in public health.
People like us naturally prefer leaders with knowledge and expertise. However, competence must be proven not by titles but by outcomes.
The Nigerian health sector is currently facing deep and persistent crises, most notably industrial actions by medical doctors and other health workers. Across the world, labour disputes are resolved through dialogue, negotiation, and meeting reasonable demands.
That is the universal standard.
What is deeply troubling is the growing perception that the Minister of Health is attempting to force doctors back to work without resolving the issues that led to the strike, reportedly through threats of “No Work, No Pay.”
This approach recalls the punitive tactics used against university lecturers during the Buhari administration, an approach widely criticized as unjust and counterproductive.
Industrial action does not end by coercion. It ends by addressing grievances. Health workers, doctors, nurses, and other professionals are openly expressing dissatisfaction with Professor Ali Pate’s leadership. This is not limited to one group; complaints are emerging across the health workforce. When those directly under a minister’s authority feel unheard and demoralized, it raises serious leadership concerns.
This brings us to a fundamental political question that cannot be ignored: If Professor Ali Pate is unable to resolve the crisis in the health sector, a field in which he is supposedly most competent, how does he intend to convince the people of Bauchi State that he can solve the broader and more complex problems of governance if elected governor? Governance is not merely about intelligence or certificates. It is about empathy, negotiation, fairness, and the ability to carry people along, especially workers who keep the system running.
A leader who fails to satisfy, motivate, or fairly engage those he directly supervises will struggle to win the trust of an entire state. This is not a personal attack. It is a constructive warning. There is still time to correct the course. The Minister should urgently engage health workers in good faith, resolve outstanding issues, and demonstrate the leadership qualities expected of someone who seeks higher responsibility. Bauchi State deserves leadership that listens, reconciles, and reforms, not one that governs through force or ultimatums. This is the time to act before it is too late.
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