Category Nigeria News

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has said that he is still grappling with debts inherited from his predecessor, including liabilities from unremitted payments to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and backlogs of unpaid staff salaries and student examination fees.

Speaking on Wednesday on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the governor painted a dire picture of the situation he met on assumption of office in May 2023.

Lawal accused the Bello Matawalle administration of alleged financial mismanagement, citing the case of unremitted FIRS deductions.

“I’m still paying debts owed to the Federal Inland Revenue Service that were never remitted,” he claimed. “The money was diverted somewhere. By whom? Let the former administration account for it.”

The governor said the rot he inherited pushed him to declare a state of emergency in the education sector immediately after assuming office.

“We had to settle WAEC and NECO debts to the tune of ₦3.2 billion. We’ve worked on over 450 primary and secondary schools, and some tertiary institutions. We were always at the bottom, but I’m happy to say things are changing,” the governor said.

He added that his administration also inherited huge liabilities in scholarships and pensions, noting that pension arrears dating as far back as 2011—totalling ₦13.6 billion—had not been paid.

“Things were really, really bad when we took over. It is interesting to tell you that for two good years, our students didn’t write WAEC or NECO because of debts owed. The first thing we had to do was make a conscious effort to settle those debts so our students could write their exams. All pending certificates from the past have now been handed over.

“We’ve settled every pension and gratuity without borrowing a single kobo. It’s all from our internally generated revenue (IGR),” he noted.

‘Empty Treasury, IGR’

Responding to the ongoing controversy surrounding the state’s finances, Lawal disputed the claim by former Governor Matawalle that ₦14 billion was left in the treasury.

“What I met in the treasury of Zamfara State was ₦4 million. The facts are there,” Lawal stated. “When I took over, the IGR was just ₦90 million, and 90 percent of that came from PAYE (Pay-As-You-Earn). But the story has changed. I can comfortably tell you that we’re now making over ₦2 billion monthly.”

In contrast, official records during the Matawalle administration showed the IGR averaged ₦6.5 billion in 2022.

Asked if the discrepancy was due to data inconsistency or political posturing, Lawal challenged his predecessor’s camp to present verifiable evidence.

“I was a banker, so I know how finances work. If they had a contrary position to mine, they should have shown me the bank statements. If they had ₦14 billion, why couldn’t they pay four months’ backlog of salaries, or settle WAEC, NECO, and electricity bills? Even the Government House was disconnected when I took over,” he said.

“There was a handover note. Nowhere did it show they had such money. The banks are there. Let them provide a statement to back their claims.”

The governor also revealed that deductions of over ₦1.2 billion are being made monthly from the state’s FAAC allocation due to outstanding debts inherited from the previous government.

“Go and check with the Office of the Accountant-General and the Debt Management Office. We are still paying over ₦1.2 billion monthly through direct deductions. Yet, there are no visible projects to show for all that spending,” the governor said.

He also revealed that every local government area in Zamfara is now witnessing infrastructural development under his leadership.

Lawal said, “There is no single local government among the 14 in Zamfara without a project worth between ₦5 billion and ₦10 billion.”

The comments come amid an intensifying dispute between Governor Lawal and his predecessor over alleged mismanagement and conflicting financial claims.

Matawalle’s camp has insisted it left behind over ₦14 billion in bond proceeds, ₦2.6 billion in World Bank funds, and other grants. However, Lawal insists the state was effectively bankrupt when he took over, with massive debts, unpaid salaries, and halted development projects.

He also previously accused the former governor of embezzling funds meant for the abandoned Zamfara Cargo Airport project—a claim Matawalle has denied, stating the project was funded via “contract financing” tied to performance.

Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has donated food and essential items to inmates of three major correctional centres in the state.

The benefiting facilities include Kurmawa and Janguza maximum security prisons, as well as the Goron-Dutse Custodial Centre.

During a symbolic presentation at the Kurmawa Correctional Home, the governor —represented by the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Adamu Aliyu Kibiya —said the gesture was aimed at improving the welfare and living conditions of the inmates.

“This donation is part of our deliberate efforts to support the well-being of inmates and assist their journey towards rehabilitation,” Kibiya said. “His Excellency Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf believes in giving every citizen, including those in custody, a second chance.”

READ ALSO: [Alleged Bribery] Kano Court Rejects Ganduje’s Bid To Stop Trial

A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, confirmed the donation, which includes five bulls, 300 bags of rice (25kg each), 4000 mattresses, 4000 pillows, 4300 blankets, 1500 bags of sachet water, 750 cartons of soft drinks, and 60 jerry cans of cooking oil (25 litres each).

Other items donated are 25 cartons of Maggi cubes, 90 cartons of biscuits and sweets, three cartons of infant milk, 20 cartons of soap, and 15 cartons of sanitary pads.

The governor also announced plans to support inmates with minor debt-related cases.

“A committee has been set up to compile a list of inmates with debts not exceeding one million naira. These debts will be settled by the government as part of our reintegration initiative,” Kibiya added.

In his remarks, the officer in charge of Kurmawa Correctional Home, Deputy Controller of Corrections Services (DCCS), Ibrahim Rambo, commended the government’s continued support.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has removed a foreign national, Elie Bitar, from the wanted list for Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) fraud.

The anti-graft agency had on April 30 declared Bitar wanted over the alleged fraud perpetrated on the CBEX trading platform.

The EFCC included Bitrar’s name in the wanted notice it published across social media platforms.

The agency, in a now deleted post on its X handle signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said Bitar’s last known address was in the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos State.

READ ALSO: CBEX: EFCC Declares Foreigner Wanted 

However, in a statement issued on Wednesday EFCC spokesperson said Bitar’s name has been removed from the wanted list, citing the availability of new information.

“Ellie Bitar of CBEX Solutions Ltd., who was earlier declared wanted, has since been removed from the list owing to new information that does not support his inclusion in the wanted person’s list.

“The Commission is making good progress in its investigations. Law enforcement agencies across the world are collaborating with it in tracking and arresting all the wanted persons. The EFCC will not relent in bringing every actor involved in the fraudulent dealings to book,” the statement read in part.

According to Oyewale, the anti-graft agency is “gaining important ground” in the search for the eight persons declared wanted over the CBEX fraud.

Several videos online had shown some Nigerians raising the alarm over the loss of their funds to the CBEX scheme when it reportedly crashed in April.

As part of its investigations into the matter, the EFCC had declared eight persons wanted over their alleged involvement in a fraudulent scheme linked to the online trading platform.

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has explained why security has improved in the state, attributing it to a deliberate refusal to negotiate with bandits, the creation of community protection guards, and increased support for security agencies.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Governor Lawal explained that his administration inherited a deeply insecure environment rooted in more than a decade of violent conflict and banditry.

“Insecurity is something I inherited in Zamfara State for the past 13 years. Upon resumption of office, one of the first things I did was to establish the Community Protection Guards, which cut across all the 14 local governments in Zamfara.

“We carefully selected individuals based on full security clearance by the DSS. They were trained to be the first line of defence, and they now work hand in hand with the conventional security agencies to fight banditry in the state.”

No Negotiations

Rejecting the idea of negotiations with criminal elements, Governor Lawal maintained a hardline stance; he had declared in February.

“We refused to negotiate with criminals because I do not believe that is the way forward,” he stated. “However, anybody who wishes to surrender unconditionally is welcome to do so—but not under any terms.”

READ ALSO: Zamfara Earns Nothing From Solid Minerals – Gov Lawal

According to the governor, his administration has invested heavily in logistics and operational support for security forces, which he said has already begun to yield results.

“You don’t hear the kind of rampant attacks that used to happen in the past, where almost daily you’d hear that 200 people were killed. Yes, there may still be pockets of attacks here and there, but the security situation in Zamfara has improved drastically based on the measures we’ve put in place,” he noted.

‘Criminals Under Pressure’

Lawal revealed that the state has successfully intercepted arms and ammunition being transported into Zamfara from other states.

“Almost on a weekly basis, we intercept these couriers—coming from Port Harcourt, Plateau, and Nasarawa—and it’s working.

“These criminals are under a lot of pressure as we speak. Just yesterday (Tuesday), in order to support mobility, we donated 140 brand-new vehicles to all the security agencies operating in the state,” he said.

On the controversial issue of communities paying levies to bandits in exchange for protection, Lawal admitted the situation had previously existed but insisted that extortion by bandits had significantly declined.

Community Policing

He acknowledged imperfections in the system, particularly in the operations of community guards, but assured that accountability measures were being enforced.

Lawal said, “It would be difficult to say that every area is fully covered, but no, it’s not as easy as it used to be for the criminals. The payments have reduced drastically, and that’s because of the efforts and systems we’ve put in place.

“There will always be challenges,” he admitted. “These guards live within the communities and understand the terrain better than the conventional security. While that helps, we are also vigilant.

“Any community guard member caught in extrajudicial killings will be brought to book. Some have been dismissed, some are still in court, and others are in prison pending the outcome of their cases. We are not covering up for anyone.”

Governor Lawal also highlighted efforts to address insecurity at the regional level through collaborative governance among northern governors.

“Northern governors are disturbed by the presence of these criminal elements. We met last Sunday and discussed a framework that will unify our efforts in tackling insecurity, poverty, and banditry.

“We realised that disjointed responses are not effective. We’ll meet again in two weeks to finalise a collective action plan. Whatever Zamfara is doing, Sokoto should be able to replicate, and vice versa,” he said.

Zamfara State has endured severe security challenges over the past decade, with periods marked by rampant banditry, mass killings, and kidnappings.

In early 2022, under Governor Bello Matawalle’s administration, over 200 were killed in a single attack, one of the deadliest in recent Nigerian history.

The Oyo State Government has approved the sum of ₦4.5 billion as financial support to the survivors and victims of the Bodija explosion which occurred on January 16, 2024.

This decision was taken at the ongoing Executive Council meeting at the Executive Chambers of the Governor’s office.

According to a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, this is apart from the over ₦200 million that the state government had expended on accommodation, feeding, hospital and security bills following the tragic incident.

He said that the Council also approved the recommendation of the 10-man committee to revoke the title of two properties off Adeyi Avenue, scene of the explosion, in the overall interest of the public and that the government should build a monument on the location of the revoked land in memory of victims of the tragedy.

READ ALSO: Fire Guts Bodija Plank Market In Ibadan

“The Council frowned at the spate of disinformation, half-truths and mischievous lies being peddled by persons purportedly representing the Residents on the role which the State Government has played in the Bodija explosion saga.

“Council said such insinuations are unfair and mischievous and the Government will not be discouraged in taking its time to do what is just for her citizens.

The Commissioner said some beneficiaries are engaged in family disputes which required painstaking intervention of the 10-man committee.

He noted that the government will also return to the owners, other properties adjoining ground zero to rebuild their homes at the advice of government paid structural engineers.

According to the Commissioner, the government will, through the Ministry of Justice, ensure effective prosecution of the suspects so far arraigned in court, while efforts are being intensified to apprehend other suspects linked to the case but at large.

He said that during the Executive session,Governor Seyi Makinde advised the citizens to discountenance any rumour concerning the current cabinet reshuffling.

He stated that the governor said he took the decision to discourage ministerial complacency and to assure the people that he plans to end the tenure of his administration in 2027 with the same zeal with which he started in 2019.

According to the Commissioner for Information, the Governor said he does not plan to drop any member of his cabinet except anyone who is found to be distracted.

The South-East Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has threatened to review its relationship with the party if its recommendation of Sunday Ude-Okoye as national secretary is not honoured.

The body made this known at the end of its meeting held at the government house, Enugu, the capital of Enugu State on Wednesday.  

While reading out the communique, the zonal chairman, Ali Odefa, said that the South-East has consistently served as a stronghold of the PDP with unalloyed loyalty to the party since inception and even as members in other regions continue to defect.

The group also want the National Working Committee to uphold its decision and ensure that the Deputy National Secretary of the PDP functions as the Acting National Secretary pending the ratification of the nominee for the Office of the National Secretary by NEC in line with the recommendations of the PDP Governors’ Forum as adopted by the NWC.

READ ALSO: Bode George Backs PDP BoT’s Support For Ude-Okoye As National Secretary

“The South East ZEC exhaustively deliberated on the directive of the NWC and came to the conclusion that it offered a sure pathway to peace, unity, stability, and progress of our party. Consequently, the ZEC unanimously recommended Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary.”

The South-East caucus threatened to reconsider its continued membership in the party if its position is further delayed, despite its longstanding loyalty to the PDP.

“The South East has consistently served as a stronghold of the PDP from inception. In PDP’s near three-decade existence, we have given our loyalty and all to the party.

“Currently, while the party has been losing key members post-2023 general elections, the South East PDP is at the vanguard of strengthening the Party by rallying major opposition figures such as in Enugu where the Labour Party, LP, gubernatorial candidate, two LP House of Representatives Members, numerous members of the House of Assembly, among other stalwarts into the PDP fold.

“Therefore, we hope that this time around, the position of the South East PDP regarding the Office of the National Secretary is accorded the honour and immediacy it deserves. This would bring to a closure to the needless lingering dispute over the matter.

“However, in the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the Party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward,” the communique concluded.