The new governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, has lamented dearth of funds in the state accounts saying his predecessor left only N4 million before leaving office in May.
The governor disclosed this on Monday during an interview with BBC Hausa, saying due to the lack of funds, he has been running the state on debt.
He said the situation has also prevented his government from paying the four months salary of its workers as well as the allowances of security agencies in the state
He also disclosed that senior secondary school students in Zamfara have not written the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and 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 treasury account of the state with no money. I only saw a single account with about N3 to N4 million in it,” he said.
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.”
Reacting to whether N20 billion was left in the treasury by the previous administration, Lawal said the claim was false, adding that the past government should publicly present evidence showing the amount left in the state account.
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,” 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.
“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
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