Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has come under criticism over the N300 million personal pledge towards the proposed university being established by the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS).

The controversy followed the governor’s attendance at a JIBWIS seminar in Jos, Plateau State, on Sunday, where the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Kabiru Masari, announced a N300 million personal donation and another N300 million pledge on behalf of Buni.

The development generated reactions on social media, with some residents and activists questioning the propriety of the governor committing such an amount to a religious institution amid concerns over education, healthcare and other sectors in Yobe.

However, the Yobe State Government has clarified that the pledge was a personal donation by Buni and was not made on behalf of the state government.

In a statement, the Director-General, Press and Media Affairs to the Governor, Mamman Mohammed, said Buni attended the seminar alongside the governors of Kano, Sokoto and Jigawa states, Abba Kabir Yusuf, Ahmed Aliyu and Umar Namadi, respectively, as well as Masari and other dignitaries.

According to him, the delegation first paid a courtesy visit to the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, before proceeding to the venue of the seminar.

Mohammed said the dignitaries were invited to deliver goodwill messages at the event, with Buni speaking before Masari.

He said Masari, while concluding his goodwill message, announced that he had just been informed that JIBWIS had a university under construction and pledged N300 million personally, alongside another N300 million on behalf of Buni.

“For the avoidance of doubt and clarity, the donations made by Hon. 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.

“It is therefore totally false, inaccurate, misleading and a distortion of facts to say or create the impression that the pledge made by Hon. Masari on behalf of himself and Governor Buni was made on behalf of the Yobe State Government and to be paid with the resources of the Yobe State Government,” he said.

But before the clarification was issued, some residents and activists had criticised the donation, questioning whether such resources could have been better deployed to address challenges in the state.

A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Yobe, Umar Yobe, had criticised the donation, alleging that public funds were being committed to the project.

He said, “N300 million was carelessly donated to Sheikh Jingir’s project from public purse without anyone’s consent. He can’t afford a fraction of said amount outside power. This is how some people abuse power.”

An activist, KY Tebo, also raised concerns over healthcare challenges, particularly kidney-related ailments, which he alleged were affecting residents in Bade and Jakusko local government areas.

“The kidney disease is killing residents in Bade and Jakusko Local Government Areas of the state, while the governor failed to build a dialysis centre,” he said.

Tebo said the controversy was not about opposition to the proposed university but about government priorities.

“It is not because they are against religion or against the proposed university. The question is about priority,” he said.

Another activist, Adamu Bello Jana, said the education sector also required greater attention, particularly the rehabilitation of dilapidated schools and efforts to address the number of out-of-school children in the state.

“The education sector is among the worst in the state and this is an area that should receive serious attention from the government,” Jana said.

He added that some schools were in poor condition and required urgent rehabilitation.

“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,” he said.

However, with the government’s clarification, the central issue has shifted from whether Yobe State Government funds were used for the pledge to whether the governor, in his personal capacity, should make such a donation amid concerns over public services in the state.

The government maintained that the N300 million pledge was personal and should not be interpreted as a commitment by the Yobe State Government. (Daily Trust)