A former governorship aspirant in Zamfara State under the platform of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Sulaiman Tukur, has launched a scathing criticism of the leadership of the 14 Local Government Chairmen in the state, questioning what they have achieved after nearly two years in office.
In a post written in Hausa, Tukur said he had made inquiries into how much the state government gives to local government chairmen from the joint account allocation.
According to him, findings showed that each local government receives between N20 million and N60 million monthly, depending on the council, with the amount fluctuating from month to month.
“Yesterday I asked how much the Zamfara State Government gives to local government chairmen from the federal allocation that comes through the joint account. I got answers ranging from N20 million to N60 million, one local government gets more than another, and what is given changes from month to month,” he wrote.
Tukur said even if the issue of alleged shortchanging by the state government is set aside, the council chairmen have failed to justify the funds they have received so far.
“Leave aside the issue of injustice and breach of trust by the state government. Now they have been leading the local governments for almost two years, what development have they brought to their local government areas?” he queried.
The former aspirant argued that with as little as N20 million, a local government chairman can deliver impactful projects at the ward level.
He noted: “N15 million can provide a 30,000 litres capacity solar powered borehole. N20 million can renovate a 10-bed patient ward in a primary healthcare clinic. N20 million can provide culverts to cross a river.”
Tukur pointed out that no local government in Zamfara has more than eleven wards, and therefore, if a chairman decides to execute just one N20 million project in one ward every month, every ward would benefit within a year.
“All the local governments we have, none has more than eleven wards. If a local government chairman picks one ward every month and provides something useful worth N20 million for the community, in one year, by God’s grace, every ward will benefit from his leadership,” he said.
He also took a swipe at some council chairmen who recently travelled abroad and displayed photos from foreign countries claiming they went to learn about governance and internally generated revenue.
Tukur described the trips as deceitful, wondering why local government chairmen would travel to countries with a different system of governance to learn how to run local administration.
“Now there is no shame, no fear of God, to the extent that a local government chairman sees an opportunity to post his picture abroad saying they went to learn work and how to generate revenue. And you find some greedy and foolish people praising them. What kind of deceit is it to say they went to seek knowledge on how to run local governments in a country whose system is not the same as ours,” he said.
According to him, ideas on how to generate revenue and bring development to the grassroots were freely given to the chairmen in their homes and offices.
“These things were given to them free of charge, we even went to their houses and offices and gave them in writing how they can generate revenue and bring development to their local governments.”
Tukur further challenged the chairmen to account for the little they receive if they claim they don’t know how to generate internal revenue.
“If you don’t know how to generate revenue, you should stand up and say you will only be given the money the federal government gives you, the little you are given, what have you done with it,” he asked.
He also blamed Governor Dauda Lawal for failing to provide a clear administrative framework for local governments and a state development plan.
“Since Governor Dauda has failed to provide an administrative system for local governments, and a state development plan and government work, I swear by Allah there will be no justice or comparison. He will only do what his heart desires while sycophants and the ignorant continue to praise him,” Tukur concluded.
