Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has
alleged that his predecessor Bello Matawalle spent N2,794,337,500 on vehicles
and failed to leave them behind upon his exit from office last Monday.
The governor’s Senior Special Assistant on
Media and Publicity, Sulaiman Bala Idris, in a statement on Saturday, said a
contract awarded by the former governor, for the purchase of vehicles to be
distributed to dignitaries and other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies
(MDAs) at N1,149,800,000.
It added that the contract for the purchase
of the vehicles was awarded to Hafkhad Properties and Facilities Management
Nig. LTD.
He also alleged that N484,512,500 was spent
on three bulletproof Jeep; N459,995,000 for seven sets of bulletproof Prado
Jeep, and Land Cruiser; and N228,830,000 for seven Toyota Hilux.
The governor further said N61,200,000 was
paid for 30 sets of Peugeot 406; N130,000,000 for one bulletproof Land Cruiser
and N160,000,000.00 for two Land Cruiser Jeeps, while three vehicles were
purchased at N120,000,000 for the office of the Deputy Governor.
“It is the height of indignity for the
Zamfara APC to continue to fizzle at a time when all the above official
vehicles were looted by the outgone governor and his associates,” the statement
read.
“None of the vehicles is available in the
government house. This is a show of shame, not only to the state chapter of the
APC but to anyone justifying the action of Matawalle.
“We have communicated officially to former
Governor Bello Matawalle and his deputy to return all the missing vehicles
within five (5) working days.”
See the full statement below:
PRESS RELEASE
WHERE IS THE LIE? COST AND NUMBER OF OFFICIAL
VEHICLES LOOTED BY FORMER GOVERNOR BELLO MATAWALLE
The Zamfara State Government has described a
statement issued by the State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as
an act of attention-seeking from a political party yet to recover from defeat.
The APC statement was a response to the
assertion of the Executive Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, in which he
fingered former Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle for looting official vehicles
and other valuables from the state Government House in Gusau.
The Zamfara State Government in a statement
issued in Gusau on Saturday, by the spokesperson to the Governor, Sulaiman Bala
Idris, noted that the vituperation by the Zamfara APC in a desperate and
face-saving defence of the looting orchestrated by former Governor Matawalle
was a further confirmation that the party has drifted into the abyss of
confusion and failure.
The statement read in parts: “Our government
is determined in fulfilling the campaign promises made to the good people of
Zamfara State, which involves the swift recovery of public funds and properties
looted.
“The mischievous APC statement is only aimed
at distracting us from doing the work that positively touches the lives of the
people. Our time is precious, and we cannot waste it in engaging or bandying
words with a political party that spent four years without a single project
beneficial to the people of Zamfara, instead their only achievement is massive
looting of the state’s treasury.
“We have the facts and records available that
exposed Matawalle’s impropriety. Where is the lie? A contract was awarded by
the former governor, for the purchase of vehicles to be distributed to dignitaries
and other ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) at the cost of One
Billion, One Hundred and Forty-Nine, Eight Hundred Million Naira
(N1,149,800,000.00). The contract for the purchase of the vehicles was awarded
to Hafkhad Properties and Facilities Management Nig. LTD. The money was meant
for the purchase of a Toyota Lexus VIP Bullet Proof 2021 Model; Toyota Land
Cruiser VIP Bullet Proof 2021 Model; Toyota Prado V6 2021 Model; Toyota Prado
V4 2021 Model; Peugeot 2021 Model; Toyota Hilux 2021 Model; Toyota Land Cruiser
Bullet Proof 2021; and Toyota Lexus 2021 Model.
“On the 4th of October 2021 the former
governor paid MUSACO for the supply of three bulletproof Jeep at the sum of
N484, 512, 500.00; to supply seven sets of bulletproof Prado Jeep, and Land
Cruiser at the sum of N459, 995, 000.00; to supply seven Toyota Hilux at the
sum of N228, 830, 000.00.
“On the 19th of May 2021, Matawalle paid for
the supply of 30 sets of Peugeot 406 to TK Global Services at the sum of
N61,200,000.00. Also, on the 15th of December 2021, Nadeen Butta was paid for
the supply of one bulletproof Land Cruiser in the sum of N130, 000, 000.00.
“On 26th of February 2022, a contractor
Dapiyau B. Linus was paid the sum of N160,000,000.00 for the supply of two Land
Cruiser Jeeps 2021 model; On the 20th of March 2022, Matawalle government paid
MUSACO the sum of N120,000,000.00 for the supply of three vehicles for the
office of the Deputy Governor.”
“It is the height of indignity for the
Zamfara APC to continue to fizzle at a time when all the above official
vehicles were looted by the outgone governor and his associates. None of the
vehicles is available in the government house. This is a show of shame, not
only to the state chapter of the APC but to anyone justifying the action of
Matawalle.
“We have communicated officially to former
Governor Bello Matawalle and his deputy to return all the missing vehicles
within five (5) working days.”
Sulaiman Bala Idris,
Senior Special Assistant (Media and
Publicity) to Zamfara Governor
June 3, 2023
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