The Director of Finance, Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, Musa Illiyasu Kwankwaso, has expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s directive for governors to immediately allow local governments to enjoy financial autonomy.

In a statement personally signed by him on Monday in Kano, Illiyasu Kwankwaso described the President’s decision to invoke an executive order to stop governors from diverting local government funds as timely.

Kwankwaso, who served as chairman of Madobi Local Government for two consecutive terms during the administration of former Kano Governor Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, said Tinubu’s directive is aimed at benefiting the downtrodden masses of the country.

“I really cherished the position taken by President Tinubu as a statesman, because the President truly means well for the masses of this country.

“President Tinubu understands the problem of LGCs and the way to quickly solve it, which is indeed the local governments’ financial autonomy.

“If local governments are getting their money directly, they can execute projects at their levels which, in earnest, would empower their people. They can build hospitals, schools and even provide adequate security to their communities,” he said.

Kwankwaso recalled that when he was a council chairman about 20 years ago, he received only N30 million monthly but was able to pay salaries and execute several developmental projects.

“When I was chairman of Madobi some 20 years ago, I was getting only N30 million monthly and with that money I paid salaries with N9 million while I spent the balance on the execution of projects that are still standing at the council,” he said.

He noted that today the same Madobi Local Government receives over N1 billion, but, being managed by the state, no concrete projects are visible on the ground.

He added that even if given the funds, the tendency to mismanage them would likely be reduced under proper autonomy.

He reminded governors that local government financial autonomy is not merely a presidential directive but a Supreme Court judgment, stressing that respecting it demonstrates adherence to the laws of the land.