In a move to strengthen grassroots governance, the Bauchi State House of Assembly’s Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has pledged to tackle the infrastructure and funding challenges facing the Bauchi Local Government Council.
Chairman of the Committee, Bala Abdullahi Dan, who led members on an oversights visit to the local council, reaffirmed the committee’s determination to ensure every local government council operates in unity, transparency and with a renewed sense of purpose.
He emphasized that the goal of the committee is not to witch-hunt anyone but to build bridges of cooperation that ensure value for money and bring democratic dividends closer to the people.
Bala Abdullahi Dan stated that the committee’s core mandate includes reviewing the status and funding of joint state-council projects, investigating the sources, collection, and remittance of Internally Generated Revenue IGR, examining tax and VAT records and identifying unresolved land disputes that hinder development.
Chairman of Bauchi Local Government Council, Mahmood Babama’aji, disclosed that the LGA receives forty million naira in monthly allocations yet spends about fifty five million on operating costs, leaving it overstretched and unable to fund new capital projects.
Babama’aji urged the committee to recommend increased funding, saying the council’s financial strength no longer matches its growing responsibilities, especially considering Bauchi LGA’s vast land mass and population.
During the visit, the committee inspected two major projects under the Bauchi Local Government Council, the ongoing renovation and upgrade of the Bauchi Emir’s Palace, estimated at over two billion naira and the rehabilitation of the Bishi Primary Health Care Center, funded at one million naira.
Mubarak Mahmood
