Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the immediate commencement of direct payment of monthly statutory allocations to the 27 local government areas of the state.
The approval was announced on Thursday by the Acting Governor, Alhaji Dr Umar Usman Kadafur, after he presided over the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected local government chairpersons in Maiduguri.
Kadafur said the directive was in line with the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy and President Bola Tinubu’s call to state governors in December 2025 to strengthen grassroots governance. He noted that the move was aimed at empowering council chairmen by granting them direct access to their funds.
According to him, the policy underscores the Zulum administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability and the strengthening of democratic institutions at the local government level.
“You should be accessible to your people. Whatever goes to the chairman of a local government must be transparent and accountable for every naira and kobo received,” Kadafur said, stressing that the era of bureaucratic delays in accessing local government funds had ended.
He added that the state government would continue to publish allocations released to local government areas to ensure accountability and proper utilisation of resources for the benefit of residents.
The acting governor also charged the newly sworn-in chairmen to prioritise the welfare of local government workers, particularly the prompt payment of salaries and entitlements, describing it as non-negotiable.
The ceremony was attended by the Chief Whip of the Senate, Mohammed Tahir Monguno; Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan; the Borno State APC Chairman, Bello Ayuba; and former Deputy Governors Ali Abubakar Jata’Au and Usman Mamman Durkwa.
