By Abiola Olawale
A mild drama occurred at the Katsina State Government House on Wednesday, as members of the Kastina State House of Assembly angrily walked out after they were asked by security details to drop their mobile phones at the reception of the main office complex.
The lawmakers who visited the government house to hold a meeting with Governor Dikko Umar Radda expressed their grievances and displeasure when security operatives told them they wouldn’t be allowed to see the governor without dropping their phones.
The demand erupted into a brief altercation before the lawmakers decided to leave the Government House in an attempt to boycott the meeting.
However, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Alhaji Jabiru Tsauri, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Political to Matters, Alhaji Ya’u Umar Gwajo-gwajo and Prof Badamasi Charanchi, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, were able to immediately intervene and woo the members to return for the meeting.
Meanwhile, the members returned and participated at the meeting where Radda, announced the state government’s position on the Supreme Court’s ruling.
He disclosed that he had constituted a Joint Committee comprising representatives of the State Executive and Legislative arms as well as representatives from the Local Governments to advise the local state government on how best to implement the recent Supreme Court ruling.
Radda also gave graphic details of how the local government funds were expended from the inception of the administration to date.
According to him, between June 2023 and June 2024, the federal allocation to local governments in Katsina was about N130.1 billion.
He revealed that N66 billion was spent on salaries, N10.1 billion on pensions and gratuities, N12.13 billion on security, while N376.6 million on security requests from some local governments.
The Governor added that the administration disbursed N4 billion as direct running costs to local government councils and provided N15.1 billion for various projects carried out by the local councils, as well as another N360 million for school instructional materials.
Similarly, he disclosed that N1.58 billion was spent on foreign and local scholarships, N939.8 million towards Hajj, N6.14 billion on food palliatives, with an additional N3.1 billion as palliative care and salah package paid directly to local government and LGEA workers.
According to him, N3.84 billion was used towards purchasing fertilisers and N1.19 billion on agrochemicals, adding that, this is not exhaustive but represents monies sent directly to local governments.
