- Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State claims he inherited an empty treasury, with over N250 billion unaccounted for from his predecessor
- Lawal reveals severe financial issues, including unpaid salaries and funding for student exams, while refusing to negotiate with bandits
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has revealed that he inherited an empty treasury from his predecessor, Bello Matawalle.
In an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Lawal disclosed that over N250 billion was unaccounted for when he took office. He referenced a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from May 2023, which alleged the theft of N70 billion. Lawal stated that the unaccounted amount was much larger.
“The N70 billion mentioned by the EFCC is nothing compared to the N250 billion we found missing when I assumed office,” Lawal said. “It was shocking to discover that there was not even N4 million left in the Zamfara State Government’s account.”
Lawal also highlighted the state’s severe financial issues, including a four-month backlog of unpaid salaries. Additionally, no Zamfara student could sit for the WAEC or NECO exams for three years. The governor revealed that his administration had to pay N1.3 billion for NECO and N1.6 billion for WAEC so that students could finally receive their certificates.
Despite Zamfara’s struggles with banditry, Governor Lawal made it clear that he has never given any money to bandits and refuses to negotiate with them.
Former Governor Matawalle, now the Minister of State for Defence, has repeatedly denied claims of leaving an empty treasury.