The newly elected Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has expressed his allegations regarding the state's financial situation under his predecessor, Bello Matawalle. According to Lawal, upon assuming office, he discovered that there was only a meager sum of N4 million left in the state's account. As a result, he has been running the affairs of the state on borrowed funds, facing challenges in meeting various financial obligations, including the payment of salaries to workers.
During an interview with BBC Hausa, Governor Lawal revealed that the four months' salary of the state's workers remains unpaid, causing financial distress for many individuals. He explained that upon taking office, the state's treasury had no significant funds, and the only account he found had a balance of approximately N3 to N4 million.
The financial constraints have had severe consequences for government agencies and services. Lawal mentioned that power supply to government buildings has been disconnected due to accumulated debts in the hundreds of millions. Furthermore, security agencies have not received their operational allowances for the past three months. The impact of the financial situation extends to the education sector, where senior secondary school students have been unable to write their WAEC and NECO examinations due to the government's outstanding debt, amounting to over one billion naira.
Responding to the claim that N20 billion was left in the state's treasury, Governor Lawal expressed skepticism and requested evidence of the account where such a substantial amount was allegedly kept. He emphasized that if the state indeed possessed such funds, he would prioritize the payment of salaries to workers and provide adequate financial resources to the security agencies to ensure the state's protection.
Governor Lawal further highlighted the dire state of water supply in Gusau, the state capital, explaining that there has been no water available for approximately four months. To address this urgent issue, he had to borrow funds to purchase water treatment chemicals and sought assistance from a group of Indians who donated water supply machines to the state. However, if the state were to purchase such machines independently, it would require an expenditure of over N200 million.
While acknowledging the pressing need to pay civil servants their salaries, Governor Lawal mentioned that the ability to do so depends on the amount of loans he can secure. He expressed his commitment to fulfilling the responsibility of ensuring workers receive their rightful compensation and stated his aim to pay salaries before the upcoming Eid-al-Kabir festival, even if it means covering only a month's salary with the available funds.
