Dr. Suleiman Shuaini Shinkafi and Anas Abdullahi Kaura – two former aides of immediate past Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamafara State – have risen in defense of their former principal, denying allegations that he looted the State before leaving office.
They poignantly dismissed the claim by the new governor, saying rather than looting, former Governor Bello Matawalle left about N20 billion and $1.977 million in cash and securities for the State.
The new Governor, Dauda Lawal was quoted as saying that Matawalle looted the treasury and the government House before handing over to him.
But the former aides, who addressed the press in Abuja, brandished two pages from the hand over notes to buttress their point that the former governor left money and equity for the new government.
A portion of the hand over note by former Governor Matawalle indicates that the former APC government left N20. 6billion in the State’s treasury for the new government. Listed as item 6 of page five of the hand over note, paragraph reads: “My administration has strategically managed assets and securities to ensure stability in the overall management of the State economy. To this end, a total sum of 20,579, 155,349.20 and $1,977,000 is lefl behind in the stale coffers as per tables below.”
The tables indicate that Zamafara State has -N3, 897,339,174.91 with the FAAC, CBN-N3, 800,000,000.00 (CBN investment find pending fulfilment of the release conditions), ACReSAL-N800, 000,000.00, $1, 997,000, Matawalle Cares- N2, 118,790,000 (domicile in three agencies- Ministry of Commerce, CSDA and FADAMA) and Covid 19 fund-N500, 000,000 (health advocacy).
The document also revealed that the state has about 60,083,475.67 unit shares in Access Bank, Dangote Sugar, Ecobank Transnational, Floor Mill PLC, Guarantee Trust Bank, Jazz Bank, Large Africa PLC, Prestige Assurance, Stannic IBTC, Zenith Bank, Nigeria Sovereign Investment and Niger Delta Power Delta Holding presently valued at about N5, 473,126,174.? 29.