Busted! Matawalle Counters Lawal’s Claim, Reveals Real Cash Left In Zamfara Treasury

The Minister of State for Defence and former Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has dismissed claims by his successor, Governor Dauda Lawal, that he left an empty treasury.

Governor Lawal, in an interview with Arise News, alleged that only ₦4 million was left in the state’s coffers at the end of Matawalle’s tenure.

Responding through his former Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, during a press briefing in Kaduna, Matawalle countered the allegation, stating that his administration handed over ₦14 billion in bond proceeds, ₦2.6 billion in World Bank funds, along with various other grants to the new government.

Dosara urged Governor Lawal to move past the “blame game” and concentrate on delivering good governance.

“We are forced to respond due to the misleading claims made by the governor during his Arise TV appearance,” Dosara stated.

He further explained that during Matawalle’s tenure, the state received an average monthly allocation of ₦3.2 billion, which was barely enough to cover the ₦2.1 billion wage bill.

He also disputed claims that salaries were unpaid for four and a half months, clarifying that only three months were pending, and blamed the delays on alleged threats made to banks by the current administration.

Matawalle went on to criticize Governor Lawal’s handling of security in the state, citing a spike in attacks and kidnappings, and accused him of misrepresenting the state’s achievements.

He also listed unresolved issues such as the non-payment of WAEC and NECO fees, abandoned road projects, and poor execution of the new minimum wage policy under Lawal’s leadership.