Yobe Governor Mala Buni Spends N2.8billion On Sitting Allowances, Honorarium, More Than Education, Health

By Bunady On Nov 13, 2025

While N2.8billion was spent on honorarium under the Governor Mala Buni-led administration, only N2.4billion was utilised for the capital needs of the Ministry of Water Resources within the same period.

A SaharaReporters’ review of the Yobe State budget performance document has shown that a total of N2.8billion was spent on honorarium and sitting allowances within nine months.

The nine-month period covers January to September 2025.

The capital expenditure for the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology stood at N1.8billion during the same timeframe.

Yobe

In contrast, just N580 million was spent on the State Primary Healthcare Board’s capital expenditure.

Earlier, a review of the Yobe State 2025 budget revealed that the government allocated N2.1 billion for the purchase of luxury vehicles.

This comes despite the fact that the state spent N6.088 billion on vehicles between January and December 2024.

Yobe

Records show that in 2024, Yobe purchased ten units of Mercedes Benz Station Wagon for YOROTA, twenty Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-ups, and twenty-five units of Peugeot 308 Saloon Cars (SUV, 2022 model) for newly sworn-in High Court judges and Kadis of the Sharia Court of Appeal. These purchases cost a total of N6.088 billion.

In 2024, the state generated N11 billion internally, meaning that 55 per cent of its internally generated revenue went into vehicle purchases.

At the same time, the state was grappling with serious public health challenges. In September 2024, the Yobe State Government reported that 132 cases of cholera were recorded as of September 25, with nine fatalities.

The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Mohammed Gana, disclosed this in a statement in Damaturu.

He said the cases were reported in Gubja, Fune, Machina, Nangere, and Nguru Local Government Areas.

Gana said, “No fewer than 112 patients were treated and discharged, while nine others, representing 6.8 per cent, sadly died due to the delay in accessing medical services.”

Despite this, the 2025 budget earmarks another N2.1 billion for vehicles, including two Camry official cars, thirty Toyota Hilux Pick-ups, two Toyota Land Cruisers, and five Toyota Camrys.

Meanwhile, Yobe remains one of the poorest states in the country. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 48 per cent of school-aged children in the state lack access to education, 73 per cent are deprived of household amenities, and 27 per cent are deprived of clean drinking water.

Over 1.3 million persons are also said to be around the poverty line in the state.