Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has come under fire from residents and activists following his ₦300 million pledge towards a religious university proposed by Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS).
Critics have voiced strong concerns, arguing that the donation highlights misplaced priorities amidst the deteriorating state of public education and healthcare within Yobe.
The controversy erupted after Buni announced the pledge 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 Islamic group.
Mounting local opposition has focused heavily on the state’s struggling infrastructure. Highlighting the critical gaps in healthcare, activist KY Tebo noted that residents battling kidney-related illnesses in Bade and Jakusko Local Government Areas face severe obstacles accessing care.
Tebo questioned committing such a sum to a new institution when fundamental medical facilities remain lacking: “Kidney disease is killing residents in Bade and Jakusko Local Government Areas of the state, while the governor failed to build a dialysis centre.”
Clarifying that the outcry was rooted in governance rather than hostility towards the institution, Tebo added, “It is not because they are against religion or against the proposed university. The question is about priority.”
Activists and opposition figures have also zeroed in on the state’s public schools. Pointing to the high number of out-of-school children and dilapidated classrooms requiring urgent rehabilitation, activist Adamu Bello Jana told PUNCH Online that the money should have been redirected to state education:
“The education sector is among the worst in the state, and this is an area that should receive serious attention from the government.”
Political figures also condemned the financial commitment. Umar Yobe, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accused the governor of using public funds without consultation:
“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.”
However, the Yobe State Government has firmly rejected claims that public funds were utilized for the pledge. In a statement released on Tuesday, Mamman Mohammed, Director-General of Press and Media Affairs to the Governor, clarified that the pledge was strictly a personal contribution from Buni.
Mohammed explained that Buni attended the JIBWIS seminar alongside the governors of Kano, Sokoto, and Jigawa, following a joint courtesy visit to Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang. According to the spokesperson, the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Kabiru Masari, delivered a goodwill message at the event, announcing a personal ₦300 million donation alongside a matching ₦300 million pledge on Buni’s behalf.
Stressing that Masari holds no authority to make commitments using Yobe State funds, Mohammed dismissed reports linking the pledge to the state treasury as “totally false, inaccurate, misleading and a distortion of facts,” maintaining that the pledge was made: “…on behalf of his humble self, and Governor Buni, were very personal and not on behalf of Yobe State Government.”