No Administrative Gridlock in Kano — SSG
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO – The Secretary to the Kano State Government (SSG), Umar F. Ibrahim, on Saturday dismissed claims that public administration in the state has been grounded.
Ibrahim who reacted to media reports and public commentaries suggesting that the governor’s instruction to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to temporarily halt the forwarding of files to his office had stalled governance across the state.
Umar F. Ibrahim, in the statement that was made available to newsmen in Kano over the weekend, insisted that there is no administrative gridlock following a recent directive issued by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
According to the SSG, the directive was issued towards the end of December, a period when the state’s appropriation law for the outgoing fiscal year was expiring while the new budget was still undergoing legislative consideration.
Umar F. Ibrahim, said restraint in executive approvals during such transitions was required to ensure compliance with due process.
“The measure was taken to prevent unauthorized expenditures and illegal financial commitments,” Ibrahim said, adding that public finance rules clearly prohibit new spending obligations in the absence of a valid appropriation law.
He maintained that the directive was a precautionary fiscal and administrative control rather than a shutdown of government activities, noting that it was designed to shield the state from future audit queries and legal exposure.
The SSG said, despite claims of paralysis, essential government services had continued uninterrupted.
He said “Security, healthcare, education, sanitation and other critical sectors remain fully operational under existing statutory provisions and standing approvals”.
Ibrahim explained that the directive only placed a temporary pause on the escalation of new discretionary matters to the governor’s office, pending the conclusion of transitional administrative reviews and alignment with the new fiscal framework.
He assured residents that once the review process is concluded, fresh directives would be issued to guide executive operations, reaffirming the government’s commitment to transparency, effective service delivery and prudent management of public resources.