The Bauchi State Government has approved a new remuneration structure for traditional rulers, increasing their earnings by more than 300 per cent and formally integrating their offices into the state civil service framework.
The decision was announced after the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Bala Mohammed at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Bauchi.
Chief Economic Adviser, Yahuza Adamu Ningi, who represented the Head of Civil Service, Mohammed Sani Umar, said the move was aimed at strengthening traditional institutions and improving governance across the state.
According to him, traditional rulers had for years operated without a standardised salary structure, relying mainly on honorariums paid through local government councils.
“This government put them in a structure where everything, from the hamlet up to the emirate, is taken care of by the state government,” he said.
Ningi explained that the new arrangement places the remuneration of traditional rulers under the state civil service rules and guidelines.
He disclosed that the government had also directed proper enumeration of all traditional institutions across the state, noting that several rulers had already benefited from government support, including provision of official vehicles and housing.
Under the new structure, traditional rulers would be categorised into first-class, second-class and third-class emirs, as well as district heads, with each category assigned specific remuneration packages.
Although exact figures were not disclosed, Ningi said the increase was “far more than 300 per cent” of what many rulers previously earned.
He noted that some traditional rulers had earlier received little or no remuneration before the reforms.
The pay review follows the creation of new emirates, district heads and village head structures by the state government as part of efforts to preserve cultural heritage and improve administrative coverage.
Ningi said the reforms were designed to strengthen traditional institutions for effective governance, cover previously ungoverned areas and preserve the historical identity of communities across the state.
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