Zamfara State governor, Dauda Lawal, has claimed that he is running the state on debt since assumption of office in the last 22 days. According to him, the state is battling to secure loan to pay workers salaries withheld for over three months.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Lawal said all that he inherited was just N3 million from all the accounts owned by the state government.
The governor said he had to secure loan to settle the perennial water shortage bedeviling the state capital, Gusau. He feared that thousands of final year students in the state-owned secondary schools may miss their final year examinations as the state has no funds to pay for their registration and to also offset debts the states owes the examination bodies.
WHAT HE TOLD BBC HAUSA
“Glory be to God, we were sworn in but what I found after assuming office supercede what I’m thinking. Since my assumption in to office, we found an empty treasury in Zamfara, I only saw one account with 3 or 4 million naira.
“Today the state is owing workers three months salaries. All the ministries in Zamfara state are cut off from electric power supply because there was an unpaid debt of N100 million on each.
“If you look at all the ministries right from justice ministry to security agencies, they were not given funds to carry out their duties for over three months. When I had a meeting with judges, they told me that for the past three months they were not given a penny and today court proceedings are not taking place…
“I sat with security agencies, for three months they were not given funds for their logistics to enable them discharge their duties, even the vehicles they are using now have worn-out tires, talkless of fuel and so on.
“Today, all students in Zamfara did not sit for NECO and WAEC because we are owing them over one billion naira.
“If you go to our houses in Kaduna, a court has sealed it because we have a pending debt. Even yesterday, here in Abuja, our houses were been sealed.
“I have thought of some of these problems before becoming the governor but when I finally became, I found that they are beyond my expectations.
“I have heard that the previous government left over N20 billon but I ask for the sake of Allah, let them come and show us the accounts where the said money is domiciled. And I asked they withhold workers salaries when they have such amount. Is it wickedness that made them not to pay? Is it wickedness that made them not to give money to buy chemical for the water board? Is it wickedness that made them not to pay examination fees for the students? Is it wickedness that made them not to give funds to the courts to carry out their activities? Please, I am pleading let me and the world be shown evidence that they left N20 billion.
“I started with the issue of water scarcity. For almost four months there is not water supply in Gusau but glory be to God in the week I went round, I have been to water board and I have been told of the kind of challenges confronting them. Firstly, they don’t have electric power supply, they were cut off for over four months. Secondly, there is no chemical to purify the water which can be pumped to the people to use. Until I sourced for a loan to buy the chemicals. And also I met some good Samaritans from India who came with some machines that I pleaded with them and they gave us the machines free. These machines if you are to buy them, they cost over N200 million.
“What I can assure Zamfara State workers is that, God willing, we will try to pay them their salaries before Sallah. I will try all my possible best to see that I pay them salaries. I will see what amount we can source as a debt. If I can be able to pay more than a month then I will, but if I can’t, I will only pay what is due on me that is this month’s salary and the remaining ones I would continue to source for ways to settle them.
“It saddens a leader to see that his people are being killed. I was pained over the gruesome killings that took place recently, and I have sympathized with the people. We are doing our best to ensure that there is security in Zamfara. Even this week, myself and other governors from the North West region have sat with the president and we told him the security challenges we are facing. He told us that he is aware of the situation and assured us that he will do his best on the issue. After we finished discussing with the president, I also sat with the Chief of Defence Staff and I reemphasized the security challenges we are facing and he has assured me of their readiness and commitments to nip in the bud the insecurity in Zamfara.
“The issues are many, but we did not take a stand on dialogue with the insurgents or the modalities to use. I can’t tell you this because It’s a security issue but when we reach a conclusion, the security agencies would explain the strategies taken to the people.
“What I can say is that security is my top priority. I could not stop until we surmont the challenges. This, I will not compromise.
“On education, the immediate measure I would take is to sit with NECO and WAEC to enter into an agreement on how I can pay the debt. Upon this, our students can now write the examinations and receive their certificates.”
