Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal Dare said on Monday that he inherited only 3 million naira in the state treasury when he assumed office on May 29, 2023.
The governor says he has been running the affairs of the state on debts since he assumed office.
Speaking on Monday during an interview with BBC Hausa, Lawal also said that the previous administration failed to pay workers’ salaries for three consecutive months before he assumed office.
“We inherited a very bad situation,” Lawal said.
“The previous administration left the state treasury empty. We have been working hard to improve the situation, but it will take time.”
The governor said the state has also not been able to pay security agencies their allowances, adding that senior secondary school students in Zamfara have not written the West African Examination Council (WAEC) or the National Examination Council (NECO).
“I have been running the affairs of the state on debt since I assumed office as governor of Zamfara. I met the state’s treasury account with no money. I only saw a single account with about N3 to N4 million in it,” he said.
“It has been about three months now, and we have yet to pay the salaries 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.”
Reacting to whether N20 billion was left in the treasury by the previous administration, the governor said the claim was false, adding that the past government should publicly present proof showing the amount left in the state account.
“When I heard that, I asked that they come and show me the account and make it public with evidence of the account where such an amount of money was kept,” he said.
“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.
“On the issue of water, there has been no water in Gusau for about four months now. I had to borrow money to purchase the chemicals for the water.
“I also 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.
“I cannot say that I have permanently solved the problem of water in Zamfara, but I will do my best to see that the problem is solved.”
The governor said he would ensure that civil servants in the state are paid their salaries before the observation of the Eid-l-Kabir festival.
He said that he would settle the unpaid salaries for one or two months before the upcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
“I want to assure civil servants in Zamfara that we will do our best to ensure all workers’ salaries are paid before Sallah,” he added.
“I will do whatever it takes to pay the workers’ salaries. I am making all necessary efforts to find support to pay the owed salaries.
“It depends on the amount of loan I am 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.”
