Governor Dikko Radda has described the ward councillors as the first line of defence against corruption.

Mr Radda made the declaration at the launch of the 2025 Sensitisation Campaign on Anti-Corruption, Due Process, and Effective Monitoring of Public Policies, where councillors gathered in Katsina.

He, therefore, urged the 361 ward councillors in the state to ensure that community projects were executed according to due process, resources are well managed, and public trust is protected. The campaign was organised by the Katsina State  Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission.

”Councillors are the closest representatives of their people. You all have the responsibility of ensuring that projects in communities are executed according to due process. You must not see this campaign as a mere event but as a career-defining responsibility that aligns with this administration’s ‘Building a Future Strategic Policy Plan’,” he said.

Mr Radda highlighted the role of the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, which he said has been empowered as an independent watchdog to investigate corruption, sensitise the public, and collaborate with stakeholders.

“Every act of integrity strengthens our state, and every misuse of office undermine the trust we seek to build. Together, through the synergy of our administration policy and the work in the commission, would secure the future of accountability and fairness to shalve future of our state,” he said.

The chairman of the commission, Lawal Garba-Abdulkadir, said that ward councillors were not just politicians, but the heartbeat of the grassroots and the bridge between government and ordinary citizens.

“You are the first to hear the concerns of your people, the first to witness their struggles, and often, the first they turn to when they need answers. We need to strengthen your capacity to stand firmly against corruption, to insist on due process, and to hold everyone accountable so that no project is abandoned, no facility mismanaged, and no citizen left behind,” he said.

The ALGON chairman, also the chair of Danja LGA, Rabo Tambaya, commended the efforts of the state government in the fight against all forms of corruption. He urged the 34 LGA chairpersons and ward councillors to work with the state government to combat the menace.

The chairman of the Councillors’ Forum, Haruna Abdullahi, thanked the state government for providing the councils with their financial entitlements, which he said would go a long way in improving the socio-economic conditions of ordinary people.

(NAN)