Tinubu’s minister reacts to alleged embezzlement of N70 billion

The minister of state for defence, Bello Matawalle, has dismissed claims that he embezzled N70 billion from government coffers while serving as governor of Zamfara State.

Matawalle made the clarification through the former commissioner of finance and economic planning, Rabiu Garba, and former commissioner of information, Ibrahim Dosara, in Abuja on Thursday.

The duo described the allegation against Matawalle as an act of mischief and campaign of calumny on the part of the present government led by Governor Dauda Lawal.

According to Garba, the state government terminated the Avic International Engineering Nig Ltd contract and asked it to return N4.5 billion.

“The company’s contract was terminated and the company was asked to refund N4.5 billion for work allegedly not done. It is not true that money was paid without due process,” Garba said.

“They have revoked the contract illegally and it was awarded to friends and cronies of the current government,” he alleged.

Garba further alleged that the contract was initially awarded for about N25 billion and had now been jacked up to N50 billion after the contract was terminated.

He noted that the company had taken the state government to court.

“As far as the former government of the state is concerned, we will not talk about it again. The contractor has the right to challenge the termination of the contract since it was duly signed and awarded,” Garba said.

“The allegation that the contract was illegally awarded by the former government of Alhaji Bello Matawalle is false. EFCC went to banks and asked about the contract we executed.

“The court stopped them from further investigation because they don’t have jurisdiction as it relates to state funds.

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“The former chairman of EFCC came to the conclusion that the funds were diverted from the companies to private pockets without knowing that those companies executed contracts on various projects.

“But he came out to say that the state government diverted N70 billion to 100 private companies for his personal use, which is absolutely untrue,” he added.