…..Urges Lawal To Focus On Governance
The Minister of State for Defence and immediate past Governor of Zamfara State, Hon. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has dismissed the allegations by his successor, Governor Dauda Lawal, that he left an empty treasury in 2023.
Matawalle who spoke via his former Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara, at a press conference in Kaduna described the claims as “False and misleading,” challenging Governor Lawal to focus on governance rather than what he termed “A blame game.”
Governor Lawal had during an interview on Arise Television, alleged that Matawalle left only N4 million in the state’s account.
However, Matawalle’s camp countered the narrative, insisting that the former administration left over N14 billion in bond proceeds, N2.6 billion in World Bank-assisted funds, and other grants intact for the new government.
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“We are compelled by the circumstances of his misleading interview to address the tissues of lies and concoctions presented to the public,” Dosara stated.
Defending the financial standing of the state at the point of handover, Dosara explained that the monthly allocation under the Matawalle administration averaged N3.2 billion, a sum he said was insufficient to comfortably meet the state’s N2.1 billion monthly wage obligations.
He also contested Governor Lawal’s claim of unpaid salaries, clarifying that only three months were outstanding, not four and a half, and blamed delays on what he described as the new administration’s interference with the state’s banking arrangements.
Beyond the financial dispute, Matawalle criticized the current government’s handling of security, pointing to recurring attacks and abductions across the state.
He also faulted the Lawal administration over the non-payment of WAEC and NECO fees, incomplete road projects, and what he called the poor implementation of the minimum wage structure.
In a swift rebuttal, Governor Lawal’s Director General of Media and Communication, Nuhu Anka, described Matawalle’s defense as “a bunch of goofs” aimed at diverting attention from what he called the former governor’s mismanagement of state resources.
“I would have ignored Dosara’s blunders, but it is important to set the records straight,” Anka said. “It is on record that only N4 million was found in the state’s treasury when Governor Lawal assumed office. If they claim to have left over N42 billion, why were workers unpaid and critical obligations ignored?”
Anka maintained that Matawalle’s administration had left Zamfara in significant debt and financial distress.
He further praised Governor Lawal’s ongoing reforms, including the settlement of salary arrears, the full implementation of the N30,000 and N70,000 minimum wages, and what he described as the stabilization of the state’s finances.
“The state is no longer owing anyone, whether locally or internationally,” Anka added, while dismissing Matawalle’s criticism of the security situation as “laughable,” asserting that significant progress had been recorded since the current administration took office.
The war of words between the two camps highlights the deepening political rift in Zamfara as both sides continue to trade accusations over the state’s governance record.
