Zazzau Emirate has 11 LGAs, dozens of chiefs — Bamalli

ZARIA — The Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, has disclosed that the emirate covers 11 local government areas and has dozens of traditional institutions whose salaries and allowances are largely funded through monthly contributions from the councils.

Bamalli, who spoke in an interview at his palace in Zaria, said the traditional institution had enjoyed greater financial stability since the Kaduna State Government introduced a system under which the monthly contributions from local governments are deducted at source and paid directly into the accounts of the emirates.

According to him, the arrangement has eliminated the need for traditional institutions to pursue local government chairmen before receiving funds for salaries and allowances.

He said: “The monthly contributions that local governments send to the emirates are what we use to pay salaries and allowances and everything.

“The Commissioner for Local Government saved us from the politics of pursuing a chairman of a local government. They deduct from the source and credit the accounts of the emirates. Since that time, we have stabilised, at least for these three years, with no problem between us and the local governments.”

The Emir expressed hope that the arrangement would continue beyond the tenure of the present administration, saying direct funding would enable traditional institutions to discharge their responsibilities without having to lobby individual local government chairmen.

“It’s not personal. But salaries must reach their destination at that point in time. So, we are happy with that,” he said.

Bamalli, who is also Chairman of the Kaduna State Council of Chiefs, said traditional rulers should remain non-partisan and treat politicians and members of the public equally, irrespective of their political affiliations.

“We are not supposed to be partisan. Whoever comes here, we listen to them, put the same rights and treatment to everybody. We are not supposed to take sides. We see them as our own children,” he said.

The Emir also said the planned salary increase for traditional rulers in the state would provide some relief, although the new rates had yet to be paid.

He said Governor Uba Sani had informed him and the Commissioner that the salary review had been in the pipeline for about seven months, expressing optimism that the new rates would be reflected in the current month’s payment.

“It’s true. Even though we have not gotten any alerts yet, I believe that by the time the salary of the current month comes, we’ll see the increment,” Bamalli said.

He noted that the salaries and allowances of traditional rulers in Kaduna State had lagged behind those of some other emirates, while the value of money had also declined significantly because of prevailing economic conditions.

2,000 cases resolved through ADR

On peace and security, Bamalli attributed the relative stability in Zazzau to inclusive leadership, regular engagement with community leaders and coordination with security agencies.

He said his administration had deliberately involved members of the various ruling dynasties and communities in the affairs of the emirate rather than adopting what he described as a “winner-takes-all” approach.

According to him, the palace currently has representation from the four ruling dynasties, while leaders of the Igbo, Yoruba and Fulani communities serve as channels of communication with their respective communities.

Bamalli said the approach had helped build trust among the diverse ethnic and religious groups within the emirate, which he described as one of the largest in northern Nigeria by landmass.

He also disclosed that the palace had used alternative dispute resolution, ADR, to take more than 2,000 cases away from conventional courts over the past two years.

“Since we changed our strategy of ADR, we have been able to remove over 2,000 cases from the conventional courts and decided them here in the palace. And all the parties left very happy,” he said.

He explained that the palace handled civil disputes, including matrimonial, inheritance and land-related matters, while criminal cases were referred to conventional courts.

According to him, the palace handles an average of five cases daily from Monday to Thursday, adding that the initiative had helped reduce pressure on the conventional judicial system.

Giwa remains security concern

On security, Bamalli identified Giwa Local Government as the major area of concern within the emirate because of its proximity to parts of Niger, Zamfara and Katsina states where banditry has persisted.

He said the emirate maintained regular communication with the state government, police, Department of State Services and military authorities, while security intelligence was transmitted to the relevant authorities.

“We don’t wait for Monday to come if there is any issue. We quickly escalate it and inform them,” he said.

The Emir recalled the severity of attacks in some communities in the past, citing an incident in which the district head of Fatika narrowly escaped after armed men reportedly killed about 16 people in the area.

He, however, said insecurity had reduced significantly across the emirate due to improved coordination and security interventions.

Bamalli said his experience in conflict resolution, diplomacy and management had influenced his approach to traditional leadership, stressing that education and exposure were essential to effective leadership in modern society.

He urged traditional rulers to embrace inclusiveness, dialogue and fairness, saying the traditional institution could remain relevant by adapting its methods to contemporary realities while preserving its cultural responsibilities.