Royal Poverty: South-West Traditional Rulers Lament N10,000 Monthly Stipends

Village heads decry unpaid salaries, mounting hardship, say meagre allowances cannot sustain palace operations and community responsibilities

BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS

Traditional rulers and village heads across parts of South-West Nigeria have lamented worsening financial hardship arising from irregular payment of salaries and meagre monthly stipends, with some receiving as little as N10,000 to N15,000 despite their traditional responsibilities.

The monarchs and community chiefs said the situation had made it increasingly difficult to maintain their palaces, attend to the needs of their subjects, settle communal disputes and meet their personal and family obligations.

The complaints have come to the fore following a public outcry by the Oloyan of Oyan in Osun State, Oba Kelani Adekeye, who recently lamented that traditional rulers and chiefs in the state had gone seven months without receiving their salaries.

In a viral video, the monarch expressed concern over the deteriorating welfare of traditional institutions, declaring that kings and chiefs were struggling to survive.

However, findings have shown that the Oloyan’s complaint reflects a wider challenge confronting traditional rulers across Osun, Ogun and Oyo states, particularly lower-ranking monarchs and Baales, who are often left with insignificant portions of government allocations meant for traditional institutions.

A prominent Osun monarch, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that several traditional rulers were experiencing severe financial difficulties, with some approaching fellow monarchs for assistance.

He said the situation was particularly disturbing because even senior traditional rulers were struggling to meet their financial obligations.

According to him, the hope of many monarchs is that President Bola Tinubu will facilitate the release of local government allocations currently being withheld by the Federal Government.

Three years without salary

In Ede North Local Government Area of Osun State, a Baale disclosed that he had not received any salary or financial entitlement since ascending the traditional position more than three years ago.

He said he had been surviving on his pre-existing means of livelihood, adding that at least 31 Baales in the local government were allegedly in the same predicament.

The community chief also complained that other entitlements due to them had remained unpaid, making it increasingly difficult to discharge their traditional responsibilities.

He said: “I have not received any salary since I assumed the position over three years ago. I have only been surviving because I already had what I was doing before becoming a Baale.

“About 31 of us in Ede North Local Government are not receiving anything from the government. We are also not getting all our entitlements.”

N10,000–N15,000 monthly stipends

A traditional ruler in the Ogbomoso area of Oyo State also attributed the hardship among lower-ranking monarchs and village heads to what he described as an inequitable distribution of the five per cent allocation meant for traditional institutions.

According to him, first-class traditional rulers receive the larger share of the allocation before distributing what remains among second- and third-class monarchs and village heads.

He said some Baales under his knowledge received between N10,000 and N15,000 monthly, an amount he described as grossly inadequate to support their responsibilities.

He lamented that the existing distribution arrangement left lower-ranking chiefs with little or nothing to sustain themselves and their communities.

Ogun Baales cry out over neglect

The situation is similarly troubling in Ogun State, where several Baales accused the government of neglecting traditional institutions despite relying heavily on community leaders for grassroots mobilisation, particularly during elections.

A Baale from Ewekoro Local Government Area alleged that most village heads received no financial support, while the few who benefited were paid an irregular monthly stipend of about N10,000.

He disclosed that approximately 700 Baales operated in the local government, but only about 20 reportedly received the stipend.

The chief also raised concerns over an alleged demand for N80,000 from some traditional rulers to obtain digital certificates, questioning the rationale behind the payment when their monthly entitlements remained uncertain.

He said: “We are getting nothing from the government. We are about 700 Baales in Ewekoro Local Government, and about 20 of us are receiving a monthly stipend of N10,000, but even this is not paid regularly.

“Some time ago, we were asked to pay N80,000 to collect a digital certificate. Yet, when elections come, we are the ones they call upon to mobilise people for them.”

Another Baale from Ogun Waterside Local Government Area said he was unaware of any village head in the area receiving a regular monthly stipend.

He explained that community leaders often financed their official engagements and meetings from their personal resources, despite the considerable demands of their traditional positions.

“There are over 70 Baales in Ogun Waterside Local Government, but I don’t know of any Baale receiving a monthly stipend. Even when we attend meetings, we spend our own money,” he said.

He stressed that the responsibilities attached to the traditional office often left Baales with little time to pursue their personal businesses, making government support essential.

A Baale from Remo North also confirmed that village heads had been left to finance the administration of their respective communities without adequate institutional support.

He recalled that they previously received N15,000 monthly through the Akarigbo, but payments stopped in March.

“What can N15,000 do? It is not even sufficient to buy recharge cards, yet we run our domains daily with our own money,” he lamented.

He further accused politicians of remembering traditional rulers only when elections approach, abandoning them once the electoral process is over.

Kwara chief questions N3,000 stipend

Beyond the South-West, the plight of traditional rulers in Kwara State has also attracted public attention.

The Baale of Okerimioro in Irepodun Local Government Area, Chief Olusola Gbadeyan, disclosed that he had not received any salary since ascending the throne in December 2025, despite carrying out traditional duties, including settling disputes among his subjects.

Gbadeyan said he had been relying on financial assistance from relatives and well-wishers in Lagos to meet his basic needs.

His complaint followed a viral video in which he questioned the propriety of paying traditional chiefs as little as N3,000 monthly.

Describing the amount as degrading, he wondered how community leaders expected to discharge their responsibilities with such an insignificant allowance.

He said he had relocated from Lagos with his mother, wives and children after being invited to assume the traditional position in Oro, but had yet to receive any financial support from either the local government or the community.

Speaking further, Gbadeyan maintained that his public complaint was not intended to discredit any individual or institution but to draw the attention of relevant authorities to the difficult circumstances facing traditional rulers.

Osun blames withheld local government allocations

Responding to the complaints in Osun State, the spokesperson for Governor Ademola Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed, attributed the non-payment of traditional rulers’ salaries and entitlements to the withholding of local government allocations by the Federal Government.

He explained that traditional rulers were constitutionally entitled to five per cent of monthly local government allocations, which was expected to be distributed among the different categories of traditional institutions.

According to him, the allocation is not a direct responsibility of the state government, as the funds are expected to come from local government resources.

He said the five per cent provision was meant to benefit traditional rulers across the various hierarchies, including Baales, through an agreed distribution arrangement.

Ogun, Oyo governments react

In Ogun State, the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, said the welfare and remuneration of Baales fell within the responsibilities of their respective local governments.

He explained that Baales were appointed by their respective traditional rulers and should direct complaints about their entitlements to the appropriate local government authorities.

According to him, the state government was not expected to take over responsibilities constitutionally assigned to local governments.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, dismissed the allegations of non-payment and financial hardship among traditional rulers, describing the claims as untrue.

He, however, did not provide further details to substantiate his position.

The contrasting accounts from traditional rulers and government officials have brought renewed attention to the welfare of grassroots traditional institutions and the need for greater transparency in the management and distribution of funds meant for their upkeep.

For many Baales and lower-ranking chiefs, the concern goes beyond personal remuneration. They argue that without adequate financial support, the ability of traditional institutions to maintain peace, resolve communal disputes, mobilise grassroots development and preserve local customs and values will continue to suffer.