“I inherited only N4m from Matawalle” ― Zamfara governor

"I inherited only N4m from Matawalle" ― Zamfara governor

The newly elected Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal has alleged that his predecessor, Bello Matawalle, left only N4m in the state account, stating that he has been running the state affairs on loan since he became governor. Lawal, who stated this in his interview with BBC Hausa, noted that the four months’ salary of workers is yet to be paid.

"I inherited only N4m from Matawalle" ― Zamfara governor

The present governor of Zamfara state, Dauda Lawal He said; “I have been running the affairs of the state on debt since I assumed office as governor of Zamfara State. 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. “The security agencies, for three months now, the allowance given to them for their daily operations has not been paid. Currently, students of senior secondary schools have not written their WAEC and NECO exams because the government is owing over one billion naira.” On the claim of N20bn being left in the state’s treasury, Lawal said; “When I heard that, I asked that they should come and show me the account, and make it public with evidence of the account where such an amount of money was kept. “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. “The issue of water, there has been no water in Gusau for about four months now. I had to borrow to purchase the chemicals for the water. And pleaded with some Indians who gave the state some machines for water supply. If the state is to purchase those machines, it will cost over N200 million.” While promising to pay the civil servants their salaries before the observation of the Eid-l-Kabir festival, Lawal said “It depends on the amount of loan I’m able to secure. If what the state can afford to pay is the salary of one month, I will do my best to pay it as it is our duty to ensure that we are able to carry out our responsibilities of paying the workers what they worked for.”

Zamfara police complies with court order, returns all vehicles seized from Matawalle

Zamfara police complies with court order, returns all vehicles seized from Matawalle

The Zamfara Police Command on Saturday said it had returned all vehicles seized from the former governor of the state, Bello Matawalle. The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Yazid Abubakar confirmed the development on Saturday via telephone conversation with Newsmen.

Zamfara police complies with court order, returns all vehicles seized from Matawalle

Former governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle Abubakar said the vehicles were returned in compliance with the order of Federal High Court sitting in Gusau. The court, presided by Justice Aminu Bappah-Aliyu had on June 15, ordered all security agencies that removed the vehicles from Matawalle’s houses in Gusau and Maradun, to return them within 48 hours. Recall that security operatives removed the vehicles from the two houses on the order of the State government. The court gave all parties involved in the invasion of the former governor’s houses 48 hours to comply with the order. “Yes, the police command has complied with the court order as regards to returning of all vehicles belonging to the former governor, Bello Matawalle. “We have returned all the vehicles to the premises of Federal High Court, Gusau, as I speak to you now, no single vehicle is in police custody,” Abubakar said. The court also gave an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents in the suit filed by Matawalle from taking any further action in connection with the matter. The respondents include the Inspector-General of Police, Nigeria Police Force and Commissioner of Police, Zamfara. Others are the Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC). The court further ordered the security agencies to stay away from all actions, pending the hearing and determination of the matter before it. Mr Suleiman Idris, spokesperson to Gov. Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, had earlier said more than 40 vehicles were recovered from the two houses of the former governor. He also confirmed that the security agencies took the action on the directive of the state government. NAN

“Security agents who invaded my houses looted my wife’s personal belongings” – Matawalle

Security agents who invaded my houses looted my wife's personal belongings – Matawalle

Security agents who invaded my houses looted my wife's personal belongings – Matawalle

Former Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle has explained that majority of the vehicles taken away by the security agencies from his two houses in Gusau and Maradun were procured by him before he became a governor. Matawalle who was reacting to the Friday invasion of his two private houses by security agents said he has been into the car business for a long time and bought most of the cars from America.

Security agents who invaded my houses looted my wife's personal belongings – Matawalle

Former Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle He told BBC Hausa service in an interview on Saturday that the security agents who invaded his houses looted some personal belongings of his wives and children, including clothing materials and matrimonial facilities he secured for the scheduled wedding of his daughters. Matawalle said, “The security agents should display the 40 vehicles for public judgment. Anybody who knows Bello Matawalle will believe that I have been in the car business ever since I became the governor of Zamfara State. “I have been in the car business for a long period of time and most of the vehicles the security personnel impounded from my two houses are those that I bought from America long before I became a governor. “The vehicles they impounded at Maradun were those donated to me by well-wishers and were all branded with my images and that of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But surprisingly, they said that the vehicles belong to the state government.” “I have never seen the worst scenario like what happened in my residences last Friday.” The former governor further said he was in Abuja and nobody called to notify him that his attention was needed in relation to the issue. “But all I heard was that the security agents invaded my private residences as if there is no law and order in Nigeria,” he lamented.

Governor Matawalle reinstates monarch suspended for turbaning bandits’ leader

Governor Matawalle reinstates monarch suspended for turbaning bandits' leader

Alh. Aliyu Garba Marafa has been reinstated as Emir of Birnin Yandoto by Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state. Governor Matawalle reinstates monarch suspended for turbaning bandits' leader The Emir was suspended by Matawalle in July 2022, after conferring a chieftaincy title on a bandit kingpin, Ado Aleiru, who he claimed played a huge role during a peace process arranged between the emirate and bandits who terrorized Tsafe Local Government Area (LGA). Kabiru Balarabe Sardauna, Secretary to the State Government, announced the monarch’s reinstatement on Sunday, April 23. Sardauna said Marafa’s reinstatement was based on the recommendations of the committee constituted to investigate the issue. The statement partly read;

Governor Matawalle reinstates monarch suspended for turbaning bandits' leader

“The committee found no evidence of any ill motive or collaboration between the Emir and the bandit. “This is to inform the public that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Zamfara State, Hon. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, MON, (Shatiman Sokoto), has approved the reinstatement of Alh. Aliyu Garba Marafa as the Emir of Birnin Yandoto. “His reinstatement is based on the recommendations of the Committee constituted to investigate all issues pertaining to the conferment of a traditional title to a repentant bandit, Ado Aleiru. The committee found no evidence of any ill motive or collaboration between the Emir and the bandit. “Based on the findings of the committee, the traditional title was conferred on the repentant bandit as part of peace building efforts between the repentant bandit and banditry-affected communities in Tsafe and Gusau Local Government Areas, which include Yandoto town. The reinstatement takes immediate effect.”