During the 2023 gubernatorial campaign, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda made a bold pledge: “za mu faɗi abin da muka samu da abin da muka kashe da abin da muka rage.” He promised that as governor, he would tell Katsina people every month what the state received, how it was spent, and what balance remained. It was a statement that resonated strongly with voters.
Fast forward to today, that campaign video has resurfaced. The Governor himself recently admitted that he has realized it is not practical for him personally to come out every month to read out figures. That admission gave the opposition fresh ammunition. Senator Ahmed Babba Kaita of the ADC was quick to pounce, accusing Radda of simply being unwilling to be transparent and accountable.
But here is where the story needs clarity. Transparency in government is not about one man standing every month to recite accounts like a cashier at the market. It is about creating systems that ensure the people know what comes in and what goes out. And in Katsina, such systems are not only in place but working every single day.
Every month, FAAC allocations to states and local governments are published nationally for all to see. Katsina State builds on this by issuing regular press releases through the Chief Press Secretary, announcing project approvals and expenditures. After every Executive Council meeting, the Information Commissioner and other commissioners brief the press on the decisions taken, including costs and funding. At the end of every month, the Deputy Governor himself steps forward to brief the press on government expenditures. Beyond that, quarterly budget performance reports reconcile what was projected with what was actually received—including internally generated revenue, loans, and grants. These are not hidden documents; they are part of the government’s open reporting.
The figures themselves tell the story. Earlier this year, the government disclosed that ₦3.8 billion had been spent on solar mini-grids for General Hospital Katsina, the Government House, and the State Secretariat Complex, along with nearly 85 kilometres of solar-powered street lights across the metropolis. In another briefing, the Deputy Governor explained that ₦5.8 billion had gone into dams and water schemes, covering the completion of Danja Dam, rehabilitation of Yashe Dam, and upgrade of Musawa’s water supply. The State Executive Council also approved ₦23.8 billion for projects ranging from the ₦18.5 billion Rafin Iya–Tashar Bawa–Sabua road, to ₦1.3 billion for upgrading Mai’adua’s health centre into a General Hospital, to ₦747.3 million for a Security Consultative Centre. On the social side, ₦1.9 billion was released to clear scholarship arrears for over 136,000 Katsina students, while ₦13.4 billion went into upgrading 146 Primary Health Centres across the 34 local governments.
These are not whispers in government corridors; they are official disclosures, announced in press briefings, carried in newspapers, and available for any citizen who cares to know.
So, yes, the Governor did step back from the literal format of his campaign pledge. But does that mean transparency is absent? On the contrary, Katsina has arguably institutionalized it. The real test is not whether one man appears every month to read figures, but whether the people can see where their money comes from and where it goes. By that measure, the promise has been kept in spirit, and it is being fulfilled continuously.
Senator Babba Kaita may hold on to the literal interpretation of Radda’s words, but governance is not theatre. It is about systems that endure beyond one individual. And in Katsina today, those systems are speaking loud enough.
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