At least 31 village heads in the council area were experiencing similar challenges, including the non-payment of other entitlements
By Mmesoma Onwuka
Traditional rulers and community chiefs across South-West Nigeria have lamented inadequate and irregular government payments, saying the situation has made it increasingly difficult to discharge their traditional responsibilities and meet personal needs.
Several village heads, popularly known as Baales, disclosed that their monthly stipends range between ₦10,000 and ₦15,000, while some claimed they had not received any financial support since assuming office.
The complaints followed revelations by the Oloyan of Oyan in Osun State, Oba Kelani Adekeye, that traditional rulers and chiefs in the state were owed seven months’ salaries.
Another monarch in Osun, who spoke anonymously, described the situation as widespread, revealing that some of his colleagues had approached him for financial assistance despite his own difficulties with unpaid remuneration.
He appealed for the release of local government allocations, expressing hope that President Bola Tinubu would intervene.
Similarly, a Baale in Ede North Local Government Area of Osun State said he had not received any government payment since assuming office more than three years ago.
He added that at least 31 village heads in the council area were experiencing similar challenges, including the non-payment of other entitlements.
In Oyo State, a traditional ruler from Ogbomoso attributed the poor earnings of lower-ranking chiefs to the manner in which funds allocated to traditional institutions were distributed.
He alleged that first-class monarchs received the largest share before the remaining funds were distributed among other traditional rulers and village heads.
In Ogun State, a Baale from Ewekoro Local Government Area alleged that only about 20 out of approximately 700 village heads received a monthly stipend of ₦10,000, which was also irregular.
He also questioned an alleged demand for ₦80,000 for the collection of digital certificates, arguing that community chiefs were receiving inadequate financial support.
Another Baale from Ogun Waterside said village heads in the area received no regular stipends and often financed official meetings and community responsibilities from personal resources.
A traditional ruler from Remo North also disclosed that the ₦15,000 payments previously received through the Akarigbo had stopped since March.
The situation was similarly reported in Kwara State, where the Baale of Okerimioro in Irepodun Local Government Area, Chief Olusola Gbadeyan, said he had received no salary since becoming a traditional ruler in December 2025.
He disclosed that he had been relying on financial assistance from relatives in Lagos to meet his needs.
Reacting, the Osun State Government, through the Governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, attributed the situation to the withholding of local government allocations by the Federal Government.
He explained that traditional rulers were entitled to five per cent of local government allocations, distributed according to their traditional ranks.
However, the Ogun State Government’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, said the payment of traditional rulers and Baales was the responsibility of their respective local governments.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, dismissed claims of poor remuneration, describing the allegations as untrue.