Sokoto Governor Directs Local Government Chairmen to Relocate to Their Areas
Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu has directed all 23 local government council chairmen to immediately relocate from the state capital, Sokoto, to their respective local government areas. The governor announced the policy during a Sallah visit with the chairmen at the Government House, stating the move is designed to enhance grassroots governance and bring leadership closer to the people.
According to Governor Aliyu, the directive addresses a persistent practice where chairmen administer their councils from the state capital, which he said creates a disconnect from local realities. He emphasized that effective leadership requires physical presence within the community. “You can only truly understand the problems of your people if you live among them,” the governor stated. He argued that direct engagement would allow leaders to identify and address community-specific challenges more effectively, building on existing grassroots development initiatives.
The governor also announced that the state government will either recover existing official residences in all 23 local government areas or construct new ones. This infrastructure plan aims to provide proper accommodation for chairmen and council staff, thereby improving administrative efficiency and service delivery. He urged the chairmen to be more actively involved in the day-to-day running of their councils to accelerate local development.
The move represents a significant shift in the state’s approach to local government administration, seeking to strengthen decentralization and accountability at the sub-state level.
In response, the Sokoto State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Alhaji Abba Shehu Tambuwal, assured the governor of the chairmen’s full commitment to the administration’s development agenda. He pledged that council leaders would collaborate closely with traditional rulers, community groups, and security agencies to address local issues and promote peace and sustainable development across Sokoto.
The policy underscores Governor Aliyu’s focus on grassroots empowerment and is expected to reshape the operational dynamics of local governance in the state. Implementation will depend on the facilitation of residential facilities and the chairmen’s timely relocation, a process the state government has indicated it will monitor closely.
