Matawalle left behind N4m, I’ve been running Zamfara state on loan – Governor Dauda Lawal

According to governor Dauda Lawal, he is managing the state of Zamfara on a temporary basis because Bello Matawalle left behind N4m.

Lawal, who took office on May 29, observed that workers have not yet received their four months’ worth of wages in an interview with BBC Hausa. He also revealed that Zamfara’s senior secondary school students have not taken the National Examination Council (NECO) or the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

He stated:

Since I became the governor of Zamfara, I have been managing the state’s business on a debt-based budget. I arrived at the state’s treasury account empty-handed. I only noticed one account, which had between N3 and N4 million in it.

“We haven’t sent the employees their salaries for almost three months. The power supply to the buildings at every government agency has been cut off as a result of the accumulated debts totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

“The allowance allocated to the security agencies for their daily activities has not been paid for the past three months. Because the government is currently in arrears by more than one billion naira, senior secondary school pupils have not yet taken the WAEC and NECO exams.

Regarding claims that N20 billion was left in the state’s coffers, Lawal stated;

“When I heard it, I requested that they provide me a copy of the account and make it public with proof that such a large sum of money was maintained there.

“If I have the money the prior administration claims they withheld for the state, I will pay all employees their salaries and give the security agencies enough money to safeguard the state.

“The lack of water in Gusau has been an issue for the past four months or more. I had to borrow money to buy the water treatment chemicals.

“I also begged some Indians who donated several machines to the state for water supply. If the state decides to buy those devices, it will cost more than N200.