Jigawa governor charges newly elected LGA chairmen on accountability, commitment

The Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi has charged the newly elected chairmen and vice-chairmen of the 27 local government areas of the state to uphold accountability, transparency, and a firm commitment to serving the people. The governor made this call in his speech during the swearing-in ceremony held at the Government House, Dutse on Tuesday.

Mr Namadi emphasised the importance of local government administration as the first point of contact for citizens, urging the new leaders to recognise the role they play in the success of both the government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Your assumption of office as chairmen and vice-chairmen of your respective local governments is ordained by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, and it is a trust bestowed upon you by Him. Certainly, He will one day question you and ask how you discharged this responsibility, so it is important to be aware of this,” the governor said.

“You are going to manage the affairs of your people in your respective local governments, and this is something very, very important for you to understand. The local government is the first point of call for our people. Therefore, your ability to manage its affairs will determine the success of our party,” he added.

The governor also stressed the need for the chairmen and vice-chairmen to remain physically present and accessible in their respective local governments as he issued a strong warning against absenteeism. According to him, the habit of local government chairmen residing outside their constituencies would no longer be tolerated by this administration.

“Let me warn you clearly: you must be at your duty post; you must stay with your people. The practice of being away—today in Kano, tomorrow in Kaduna, or Dutse—will not be tolerated. Please note this. Whether the atmosphere is good or bad, you must remain in your local government areas and ensure that you take positive care of your people. This is very, very important.”

In addition to urging physical presence, the governor called for transparency and accountability in the management of local government resources, where he reminded the officials that public resources are meant for the people, not for personal use.

“You should know that the resources at your disposal belong to the people of your local government, not to you and your family. You should handle this responsibility with the utmost fear of Allah and be accountable to the people. You must make sure that whatever you do, you are doing it so that people will see that you are giving your best.”

The governor also reminded the new leaders to avoid meddling in land allocation matters, which remain the sole responsibility of the governor unless specifically delegated.

“I want to strongly warn you that the issue of land is a specific responsibility of the governor. Unless the governor delegated that responsibility to you, you have no right to allocate or sell land to anybody. If you misbehave, you will find yourself in trouble because you would have contradicted the law. This must be very clear: stay away from land allocation and distribution. It is not your responsibility.”