Alleged Hijack Of Kaduna LG Allocations: ALGON Gives SaharaReporters 48 Hours To Retract, Apologize

NEWSDAILYNIGERA: The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria ( ALGON) in Kaduna State, has given Sahara Reporters 48 hours ultimatum to make a public retraction and apology on its report alleging the hijack of Local Government Allocations by the Gov. Uba Sani led Kaduna State Government.

In a statement signed by the Chairman, ALGON Kaduna State Chapter, Hon. Jamilu Abubakar on behalf of the 23 Local Governments of Kaduna State, the group denied the claims by the media organization, thus demanding a public redress and apology.

” Our attention has been drawn to a misleading and unsubstantiated report published by SaharaReporters, alleging that the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, has hijacked local government allocations and that council chairmen receive as little as N25 million monthly against purported federal allocations of N500 million to N600 million.

” As the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Kaduna State Chapter, I state categorically and without equivocation that this report is false, lacks any factual foundation, and appears to be the handiwork of disgruntled individuals with no understanding of local government finance or the legal framework governing it.

” Kaduna State has long been a pioneer of local government autonomy. The state government has trained officials on the modalities for e-payment of salaries and provided the necessary infrastructure. Consequently, we directly disburse salaries, pensions, and other statutory obligations for local government staff in full compliance with the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment. Every local government chairman receives monthly allocation statements, and funds are transparently applied to statutory responsibilities, including security, primary healthcare, education, and rural infrastructure.

” Contrary to the claim of “no landmark projects,” Kaduna local governments—under Governor Uba Sani’s supportive leadership—have executed rural electrification, borehole drilling, primary health centre renovations, and road grading. The “lack of visible projects” narrative is routinely peddled by individuals who neither visit the wards nor acknowledge ongoing work. In the last year alone, ALGON has documented over 400 projects across the 23 councils, several of which were jointly funded with the state government.

” The insinuation that chairmen avoid their domains for fear of voters is equally unfounded. Our members hold weekly meetings in their respective councils. Elections are not a reason for apprehension; they are an opportunity for accountability. No local government in Kaduna State is without active, visible, and purposeful leadership.

” Governor Uba Sani remains unequivocally committed to local government autonomy, transparency, and grassroots development. We challenge the anonymous chairman cited by SaharaReporters to come forward publicly with verifiable evidence of “hijacked funds.” In the absence of such proof, the public is urged to disregard this baseless alarmism.

” Furthermore, we challenge SaharaReporters to provide the name(s) of any local government chairman or official implicated by their story. Given the complete absence of corroborating facts, we demand a public retraction and apology from SaharaReporters. The correction must be published within 48 hours in the same outlet and disseminated across its social media channels.

” ALGON Kaduna stands firmly with the Governor and with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for genuine grassroots development. We call on all media houses to verify facts before publishing damaging falsehoods.” the Statement added.