The Kano State Government on Friday said governance in the state was not disrupted by a recent instruction from Governor Abba Yusuf directing Ministries, Departments and Agencies to temporarily stop sending files to his office. The government said the reports suggesting that public administration had been shut down were false and misleading.
In a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar F. Ibrahim, the government explained that the directive was given in late December when the 2025 budget was close to ending and the 2026 budget was still being considered by the House of Assembly. According to the government, the decision was taken to avoid approving new financial commitments without a valid budget in place.
The statement said the measure was part of routine financial control to prevent illegal spending, unauthorised commitments and future audit problems. It added that MDAs were advised to operate strictly within existing approvals until the new budget became law.
The government reacted to reports claiming that files had piled up at the Government House and were later returned to MDAs, causing delays in governance. Some reports had also suggested that urgent matters, including health and emergency issues, were affected.
Responding to these claims, the state government said essential services such as security, healthcare, education and sanitation continued without interruption. It explained that the directive only affected new discretionary matters that required fresh approvals and did not stop normal government operations.
The government also said the decision helped stop the practice of rushing approvals at the end of the year, which often leads to poor accountability. It stressed that the pause was temporary and meant to protect the state from legal and financial risks.
The statement added that once ongoing administrative reviews are completed, fresh guidance will be issued to MDAs. The government assured residents that governance remains stable and that it is committed to transparency, lawful spending and effective service delivery across the state.