Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, has warned local government chairmen in the state against unnecessary absenteeism, insisting that they were elected to serve the people and could not administer their councils virtually.

Namadi issued the warning while speaking to journalists after making surprise visits to some local government secretariats, where he found that the chairmen and senior officials were absent from their offices.

The governor expressed dismay over the situation, questioning how effective administration could be achieved when those saddled with the responsibility of running the councils were not physically present at their duty posts.

He described the council chairmen as the drivers of local government administration, stressing that the effective functioning of the councils depended largely on their regular presence and supervision.

Namadi said he would summon all the council chairmen to a meeting, where he would “read the riot act” to them and caution them against unnecessary travels outside their respective local government areas.

“Local government councils are the closest government to the grassroots. The chairmen must remain on ground and listen to the demands of the people for necessary action.

“From there, we expect to know challenges that are beyond the councils’ capacity. So, if chairmen are always absent, how can they discharge the responsibilities placed on their shoulders by the teeming electorates?

“We will not tolerate this undemocratic behaviour and will take necessary action to tackle it,” the governor said.

Namadi stressed that the presence of council chairmen at their respective secretariats was essential to ensuring prompt responses to the needs and challenges of residents at the grassroots.

He also warned the chairmen against reviving the practice of administering local government councils from outside their jurisdictions, saying such conduct would undermine effective governance and service delivery.

It would be recalled that during the swearing-in of the 27 local government chairmen in 2025, Namadi had warned them against absenteeism and administering their councils remotely.

The governor had also pledged to take appropriate action against any chairman found engaging in the practice. (AriseNews TV)

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