Matawalle Left Only N4m in Zamfara Account’ — Gov Lawal

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal,  has disclosed that he only met about N4 million in a single account since he assumed power on May 29, 2023.

In an interview with BBC Hausa on Monday, Governor Lawal noted that the state is also unable to pay security agencies their allowances.

The governor revealed that the situation has forced him to be operating the affairs of the state on debt adding that the state is still owing workers four months’ salary.

He expressed concerns that senior secondary school students in Zamfara have not written the West African Examination Council ( WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) examinations.

“I have been running the affairs of the state on debt since I assumed office as governor of Zamfara. I met the treasury account of the state with no money. I only saw a single account with about N3 to N4 million in it,” Lawal said.

The Governor also stated that the power supply to the buildings of all the government agencies has been disconnected due to hundreds of millions of debts that have been incurred.

“The security agencies, for three months now, the allowance given to them for their daily operations has not been paid. Currently, students of senior secondary schools have not written their WAEC and NECO exams because the government is owing over one billion naira,” he said.

When asked whether N20 billion was left in the State treasury by Matawalle’s administration, Lawal said the claim was false, adding that the past government should publicly present evidence showing the amount it left in the state account.

He stressed that if he has such an amount of money the Matawalle’s government claimed they left, he would pay all workers their salaries, and provide adequate funds to the security agencies.

The Governor also disclosed that there has been no water in Gusau for some months now and he had to borrow to get the chemicals for water.

“I also pleaded with some Indians who gave the state some machines for water supply. If the state is to purchase those machines, it will cost over N200 million. I can not say that I have permanently solved the problem of water in Zamfara but I will do my best to see that the problem is solved,” the governor said.

He also promised to pay civil servants their salaries before the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.