Yobe State government has said that the N300 million donated by Governor Mai Mala Buni to Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) was from his personal pocket.
Yobe State has faced criticism following a N300 million personal pledge toward a university being established by 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 an additional N300 million pledge on behalf of Governor Buni.
The announcement sparked widespread reactions on social media, with the residents and activists questioning the propriety of such a substantial commitment to a religious institution. At the same time, critical sectors like education and healthcare continue to face challenges in Yobe State.
In a statement, the director-general of Press and Media Affairs to the Governor, Mamman Mohammed, clarified that the pledge was an entirely personal donation by his principal and was not made on behalf of the state government.
Mohammed explained that 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.
It stated that the delegation first paid a courtesy visit to Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang before proceeding to the seminar venue.
He said that, during his concluding remarks, Masari announced he had been informed about JIBWIS’s ongoing university construction and pledged N300 million personally, along with 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,” Mamman Mohammed stated.
He emphasised that Masari had no authority to make pledges or decisions 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 added.
Several critics and activists had voiced strong opposition to the donation, questioning whether such resources could have been better directed toward addressing pressing challenges in the state.
A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Yobe, criticised the donation, alleging public funds were being committed to the project.
“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,” he said.
Likewise, an activist, KY Tebo, had raised concerns about healthcare challenges, particularly kidney-related ailments reportedly affecting residents in the 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 clarified that 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 stated.
Another activist, Adamu Bello Jana, highlighted the need for greater attention to the education sector, particularly the rehabilitation of dilapidated schools and addressing 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, adding that many schools were in poor condition and required urgent rehabilitation.
Yobe State Government has clarified that the N300 million pledge was a personal contribution from Governor Buni rather than a state government commitment; the underlying concerns about resource allocation and priorities in Yobe State remain unresolved.
