The former governor of Zamfara State and current Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, and the incumbent governor, Dauda Lawal, are engaged in a heated dispute over the state?s financial and security conditions.

Governor Lawal claimed that Matawalle?s administration left only N4 million in the state treasury, but Matawalle, through his former Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara, called this a ?blatant lie? at a press conference in Kaduna.

Dosara stated that Matawalle left N14 billion in bond proceeds, N2.6 billion in World Bank funds, N6.3 billion in UBE grants, and N2.7 billion in NG-CARES World Bank funds, totalling N25.6 billion.

On salary arrears, Matawalle disputed Lawal?s claim of a four-and-a-half-month backlog, asserting it was only three months and that Lawal?s threats to banks disrupted salary payments.

Matawalle also accused Lawal of misleading the public about security improvements, citing recent attacks and abductions in Zamfara.

He further criticised Lawal?s governance, pointing to unpaid WAEC and NECO fees for 2016, 2017, and 2018, stalled road projects, and failure to implement the minimum wage.

Dosara said, ?We are compelled by the circumstances of the above subject matter, in which our government, under the leadership of His Excellency, former governor of Zamfara State, Hon. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, was erroneously but intentionally accused of wrongdoings while in office as the governor of Zamfara State by the current governor, Dr Dauda Lawal, when he granted an interview to Arise TV news during its Monday 14th April 2025 morning show.?

He added, ?It was on record that our average cash allocation then was 3.2 billion naira monthly, which was grossly inadequate to pay workers? salaries and allowances totalling 2.1 billion naira, as well as run other essential services, including health, power supply, and logistics services for the state?s huge numbers of visitors coming for various official government businesses. This is coupled with the mounting security challenges facing the state.?

In response, Lawal?s Director General of Media and Communication, Nuhu Anka, issued a statement dismissing Matawalle?s defence as baseless. Anka said, ?I would have ignored Dosara?s blunders and left the matter to the people of the state to judge, particularly the civil servants who were denied payment of their three months? salaries and the former governor?s aides who did not collect their severance allowance due to cash crunch during Matawalle?s administration, but I find it very imperative to react in order to put the record straight.?

He reiterated, ?During the Arise TV interview, Governor Dauda Lawal came out clearly and informed the whole world that his predecessor, Bello Matawalle, left only four million naira in the government?s coffers, which Ibrahim Dosara was trying to dispute during the press conference, calling it ?a blatant lie?.?

Anka questioned why Matawalle failed to settle the three months? salary arrears and aides? severance allowances if N25.6 billion was available, stating, ?In fact, the former governor had seriously mismanaged the state government?s resources on white elephant projects and did not leave any legacy worthy of commendation throughout the state. He left huge debts while the state went bankrupt during his tenure.?

He praised Lawal?s economic management, noting, ?In just a few months, Governor Dauda Lawal used his vast experience as an economist to rebuild the state?s already bastardised economy. He was able to pay the three months? salaries of the state civil servants and has also implemented the ?30,000 minimum wage, which the previous administration refused to implement. He has also implemented the recent ?70,000 national minimum wage.?

Anka further defended Lawal?s security efforts, saying, ?Dosara has also accused Governor Dauda Lawal of not paying much attention to the security situation in the state. This is laughable because everyone knows that the security situation in the state is far better at the moment than when Bello Matawalle was the governor. I don?t want to play politics with security; as such, I don?t want to delve much into Dosara?s baseless accusations.?

He urged Matawalle, as Minister of Defence, to clarify his contributions to Zamfara?s security, stating, ?I want to remind Dosara that his paymaster is the Minister of Defence, whose responsibility it is to ensure the protection of lives and property of the people of the country. Ask your paymaster to tell us the efforts he has been doing to secure his home state and the entire country.?

Anka concluded, ?I want to advise Dosara and his paymaster to stop wasting their time, as there is no amount of blackmail and campaign of calumny that could deter Governor Dauda Lawal from executing the people-oriented projects.? (Daily Sun)

Update news