“I Inherited Only N4 Million With Unbelievable Liabilities from Matawalle’s Administration” – Gov. Lawal Laments Empty Treasury in Zamfara State

Naija247news – Gusau – Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has finally opened up on the shocking state of the finances he inherited from his predecessor, Bello Matawalle, declaring that the state’s treasury was nearly empty — with only a paltry ₦4 million left — while staggering liabilities were waiting to consume the state.

In a fiery speech at the Zamfara State Investment and Economic Summit held in Gusau on Monday, Governor Lawal said the scale of financial recklessness he met in office after the May 2023 transition was not only “unbelievable” but “criminal.”

“When we came in, Zamfara had only ₦4 million in all government accounts. At the same time, there were debts, unpaid salaries, unexecuted contracts, and liabilities running into hundreds of billions,” Lawal told a stunned audience of investors, civil society members, and diplomats.

Empty Vaults, Endless Debts

According to Lawal, most of the state’s revenues and assets had either been mismanaged or diverted, leaving his new administration with almost no room to breathe.

“This state was looted dry. Contractors were paid for projects that never existed, and some government agencies were operating without any budgetary discipline whatsoever,” the governor alleged.

Lawal, a former banker and anti-corruption advocate, stated that upon assumption of office, he ordered a forensic audit of state finances and discovered that large sums were either withdrawn in cash or funneled through shell companies, with no traceable documentation.

Blame Game Escalates Between Lawal and Matawalle Camps

This revelation has reopened a political war of words between Lawal and former Governor Bello Matawalle, now the Minister of State for Defence under the Tinubu administration.

While Matawalle’s allies have repeatedly dismissed Lawal’s claims as “propaganda,” insisting that the former governor left over ₦20 billion in assets and investments, the current administration maintains that these figures were fabricated and that the state was “technically bankrupt” when it took over.

“If they say they left money, let them show us the accounts. Let them publish the balances. What we found was ₦4 million — not even enough to run the Government House for a week,” a senior official from the Zamfara Ministry of Finance told Naija247news on condition of anonymity.

Economic Recovery Amid Security Crisis

Governor Lawal’s statement comes as Zamfara continues to battle a crushing wave of insecurity, with bandits controlling large swathes of rural areas and residents facing mass displacement, food shortages, and economic collapse.

“How do you rebuild a state when all you inherited was debt, insecurity, and silence?” Lawal asked. “But we are not here to complain. We are here to rebuild.”

The Zamfara government says it has since begun plugging leakages, enforcing fiscal reforms, and engaging international development partners to rebrand the state as an investment destination despite the challenges.

Analysts Weigh In: A Familiar Nigerian Tale

Experts say Lawal’s claims mirror similar complaints by governors across the country, who often accuse their predecessors of financial sabotage. However, they warn that blaming past administrations must not be an excuse for non-performance.

“Yes, the situation in Zamfara is dire, but what matters now is what the Lawal administration does with what it has,” said Abdulkarim Bello, a Kaduna-based public finance analyst. “Nigerians are tired of hearing about empty treasuries — they want results.”

Meanwhile, calls are growing for anti-graft agencies like the EFCC and ICPC to launch a full-scale investigation into the financial activities of the Matawalle administration. Civil society groups have also called on the Tinubu government to suspend Matawalle from the federal cabinet pending a probe.