A former local government chairman in Kano State, Musa Illiyasu Kwankwaso, has welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s directive ordering state governors to stop the diversion of local government funds and allow councils receive allocations directly.
Kwankwaso described the President’s decision as timely, bold, and focused on easing the suffering of ordinary Nigerians at the grassroots.
The former Kano chairman said the move shows clear concern for rural development and the welfare of the poor.
Speaking in Kano on Monday in a statement he personally signed, Kwankwaso said the use of an executive order to enforce direct funding for local governments reflects Tinubu’s understanding of Nigeria’s governance challenges, especially at the council level.
“I really cherished the position taken by President Tinubu as a statesman, because the President truly means well for the masses of this country,” he said.
Kwankwaso, who currently serves as Director of Finance at the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, explained that local governments remain the closest tier of government to the people and should be empowered financially to perform their duties effectively.
He recalled his time as chairman of Madobi Local Government under former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, noting that limited funds did not stop development when councils had some level of control over their resources.
“President Tinubu understands the problem of LGCs and the way to quickly solve it, which is indeed the local governments’ financial autonomy,” he said.
According to him, direct access to allocations would allow councils to identify and address pressing community needs without interference. He said such autonomy would speed up project execution and improve service delivery.
“If local governments are getting their money directly, they can execute projects at their levels which, in earnest, would empower their people. They can build hospitals, schools and even provide adequate security to their communities,” he said.
Kwankwaso further shared details of his experience in office, stressing that development was possible even with modest funding in the past.
“When I was chairman of Madobi some 20 years ago, I was getting only N30 million monthly and with that money I paid salaries with N9 million while I spent the balance on the execution of projects that are still standing at the council,” he said.
He expressed concern that despite councils now receiving over N1 billion monthly, many local governments have little or nothing to show for it, blaming the situation on state control of council funds.
Kwankwaso added that granting full financial autonomy to local governments would reduce mismanagement, strengthen accountability, and ensure that funds are spent where they are most needed.
He also reminded governors that local government financial autonomy is backed by law, stressing that compliance is not optional.
According to him, the directive aligns with an existing Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy and should be respected by all state governments in the interest of democracy and good governance.
