Residents and activists in Yobe State have criticised Governor Mai Mala Buni over his donation of N300 million to the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah, popularly known as Izala, amid concerns over the condition of education and healthcare facilities in the state.
Buni announced the donation on Sunday in Jos, Plateau State, during a one-day National Symposium on “Enhanced Political Participation and Social Justice as a Panacea for Unity and Development in Nigeria,” organised by the JIBWIS.
The governor said the N300 million was donated towards the proposed religious university the organisation plans to establish.
The donation, however, generated reactions from some residents of Yobe State, who questioned the priority given to the project amid what they described as pressing challenges in education, healthcare and other sectors.
A member of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Umar Yobe, criticised the donation, alleging that public funds were used without consultation.
Umar said, “N300 million was carelessly donated to Sheikh Jingir’s project from the public purse without anyone’s consent. He can’t afford a fraction of said amount outside power. This is how some people abuse power.”
He added, “Nigeria is a joke of a country, and states like Yobe are where the real drama unfolds. Haba!”
The criticism also extended to the healthcare sector, with an activist, KY Tebo, alleging that residents suffering from kidney-related ailments in some parts of the state were facing difficulties accessing treatment.
Tebo said, “Kidney disease is killing residents in Bade and Jakusko Local Government Areas of the state, while the governor failed to build a dialysis centre.”
The activist questioned the decision to commit N300 million to the proposed university when, according to him, residents were in need of basic medical facilities.
He said, “When you look at the amount of N300 million, you begin to ask what could have been done with that money in our hospitals.”
Tebo added that the controversy was about government priorities rather than opposition to the proposed university.
“It is not because they are against religion or against the proposed university. The question is about priority,” he said.
Concerns were also raised about the education sector, with an activist, Adamu Bello Jana, accusing the state government of failing to adequately address challenges confronting schools and children.
Jana, who spoke exclusively to PUNCH Online, said the education sector was among those requiring urgent intervention, particularly because of the number of out-of-school children and the condition of some public schools.
He said, “The education sector is among the worst in the state, and this is an area that should receive serious attention from the government.”
Jana further said many schools were in poor condition and required urgent rehabilitation.
He added, “We have many out-of-school children in Yobe, and instead of seeing serious investment in education, we continue to see schools that are dilapidated.”
According to him, the N300 million could have been used to address some of the challenges in the sector.
“The money should be channelled to the education sector, as many schools in the state are dilapidated,” Jana said.
The PUNCH gathered that several residents had taken to social media to criticise the governor over the donation, with some describing it as a misplaced priority.
The reactions have largely centred on the argument that government resources should first be directed towards essential services that directly affect residents.
Some residents argued that the money could have been used to rehabilitate schools, provide healthcare facilities and address other infrastructure deficits across the state.
The controversy has also raised questions about the source of the funds used for the donation.
While Umar alleged that the N300 million was from the public purse, the Yobe State Government has yet to publicly clarify the source of the funds or respond to the criticism.
The development has continued to generate reactions on social media, with critics calling for greater attention to education, healthcare and other basic needs across Yobe State.
However, in a statement released on Tuesday, the Director-General, Press and Media Affairs to the Governor, Mamman Mohammed, said the N300 million pledge was a personal donation by Governor Mai Mala Buni and was not made on behalf of the Yobe State Government.
Mohammed said the governor attended a seminar organised by the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) in Jos on Sunday, alongside the governors of Kano, Sokoto and Jigawa states, among other dignitaries.
According to him, the event began with a courtesy visit to the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, before the participants proceeded to the venue of the seminar.
Mohammed said the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Kabiru Masari, was the last speaker to deliver a goodwill message at the event and announced a personal donation of N300 million, as well as an additional N300 million pledge on behalf of Governor Buni, towards the construction of the JIBWIS University.
He stressed that the pledge was a personal donation and not on behalf of the Yobe State Government.
“The donations made by Hon. Kabiru Masari on behalf of his humble self, and Governor Buni, were very personal and not on behalf of Yobe State Government,” Mohammed said.
He added that Masari could not make any pledge or take any decision for or on behalf of the Yobe State Government.
Mohammed therefore described reports suggesting that the N300 million pledge was made on behalf of the Yobe State Government and would be paid from state government resources as “totally false, inaccurate, misleading and a distortion of facts.”
The clarification provides the state government’s position on the controversy, while concerns raised by residents and activists remain focused on the prioritisation of education, healthcare and other basic services in Yobe State.
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