Former Zamfara State Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, has strongly refuted recent remarks made by Governor Dauda Lawal, who claimed that only N4 million was left in the state’s treasury when he assumed office.
Governor Lawal made the assertion during an interview with Arise TV on April 14, alleging that he inherited a nearly bankrupt and dysfunctional state from his predecessor, Bello Matawalle, now the Minister of State for Defence.
However, addressing journalists on Monday in Kaduna, Dosara described the governor’s statement as completely false and misleading.
“We feel compelled to clarify the misinformation and deliberate misrepresentation made by Governor Dauda Lawal during his appearance on Arise TV. His claim that the past administration left behind only N4 million is entirely untrue,” Dosara stated.
According to the former commissioner, the outgoing administration under Governor Matawalle left significant funds for the incoming government.
He listed N14 billion in bond proceeds, N2.6 billion in World Bank allocations, N6.3 billion in Universal Basic Education (UBE) grants, and N2.7 billion from the NG-Cares World Bank programme.
Dosara added that these investments generated a return of N42 billion for the new administration.
He also addressed the issue of salary arrears, saying only three months of salaries were unpaid due to limited cash flow.
He further accused Lawal of obstructing financial transactions prior to taking office.
“The backlog in salary payments was a result of deliberate moves by Governor Lawal before assuming office, when he allegedly warned banks against engaging in any transactions with the outgoing administration,” he said.
Dosara maintained that the former governor acted in good faith and handed over a state with viable financial assets, contrary to what was claimed in the media interview.