Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal has said he only met about N4 million in a single account since the assumption of power on May 29 which has forced him to operate the State’s affairs on debt as the four months’ salary of workers are yet to be paid.
The Governor during an interview with BBC Hausa on Monday lamented that the ex-Governor of the State, Bello Matawalle only handed over about N3m to N4m to him and the state has been unable to pay security agencies their allowances for three months.
“I have been running the affairs of the state on debt since I assumed office as governor of Zamfara. I met the treasury account of the state with no money. I only saw a single account with about N3 to N4 million in it.
“It is about three months now and we are yet to pay the salary of the workers. If you look at all the government agencies, the power supply to the buildings has been disconnected due to the hundreds of millions of debts incurred”, Lawal bemoaned.
He also disclosed that senior secondary school students in Zamfara have not written the West African Examination Council and the National Examination Council.
The Governor said the claim that N20 billion was left in the treasury by the previous administration was false, adding that the past government should publicly present evidence showing the amount left in the state account.
“If I have that amount of money the previous administration is claiming they left for the state, I will pay all workers their salaries, and provide adequate funds to the security agencies for the protection of the state”, he added.
The Governor cried out that there has been no water in Gusau for about four months which led him to borrow money to purchase the chemicals for the water.
He added that he pleaded with some Indians who gave the state some machines for water supply and if the state is to purchase those machines, it will cost over N200 million.
“I cannot say that I have permanently solved the problem of water in Zamfara but I will do my best to see that the problem is solved”, Lawal promised.
The governor also promised that civil servants in the state will be paid their salaries before the observation of the Eid-l-Kabir festival.
“I will do whatever it takes to pay the workers’ salaries. I am making all necessary efforts to find support to pay the owed salaries”, he added.
