Outrage As Katsina Council Chairmen Jet To UK For “Training” Amid Worsening Insecurity At Home
Public outrage has trailed the decision of several local government chairmen in Katsina State to travel to the United Kingdom for a so-called “leadership training” amid deepening insecurity and economic hardship in the state.
Residents and civil society groups described the foreign trip as “insensitive and wasteful,” accusing the council bosses of abandoning their responsibilities at a time when communities are under siege from bandits and terrorists.
According to sources in the state government, over 20 council chairmen embarked on the UK trip earlier this week, allegedly sponsored from local government funds. The stated purpose of the visit was to attend a two-week “capacity-building program on effective local governance.”
However, critics argue that the excursion is nothing more than a taxpayer-funded luxury tour.
“This is a complete insult to the suffering people of Katsina,” said Lawal Musa, a youth activist in Jibia. “Villages are being attacked daily, farmers cannot go to their fields, and instead of addressing insecurity, our leaders are flying abroad for photo ops and allowances.”
Katsina, the home state of former President Muhammadu Buhari, remains one of the epicenters of banditry in northern Nigeria. Dozens of communities have been displaced in recent months, with frequent reports of kidnappings and killings.
A local government staff member who spoke on condition of anonymity said the trip cost millions of naira, covering flight tickets, accommodation, and travel allowances for each participant. “It’s the same pattern every year — they call it training, but it’s just tourism in disguise,” the source alleged.
Civil society organizations have called on Governor Dikko Radda to order the immediate recall of the officials and probe the funding source of the trip.
“The people deserve accountability,” said Halima Yusuf of the Katsina Transparency Network. “If these chairmen truly need training, it should be done locally where the funds can strengthen governance and not enrich travel agencies abroad.”
As outrage grows, many Katsina residents are demanding the suspension of the “training” trip and a redirection of funds to security and rural development — areas they say have suffered chronic neglect.
Neither the state government nor the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Katsina chapter, has issued an official response as of press time.