Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has vehemently denied claims that his administration lavished N400 million on local and foreign trips within a span of three months.
The governor denounced the reports as politically motivated, attributing them to smear tactics employed by the opposition, specifically the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Suleiman Bala Idris, Governor Lawal argued that the opposition party was propagating baseless accusations in their quest to discredit his administration before the people of the state.
The statement also clarified that an online publication had erroneously attributed expenditures to Governor Lawal, which actually fell within the tenure of the previous administration. The misinterpretation of budget data led to the false claims regarding the governor’s alleged spending.
Addressing the issue, the statement read, “We have read a report from the online sphere, alleging that Governor Dauda Lawal spent over N400 million on foreign trips. This is false and an attempt to tarnish the governor’s image.”
Furthermore, the statement emphasized the administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability, pointing to the detailed breakdown of budget performances available on the official website of the Zamfara State Government.
It was stressed that Governor Lawal has undertaken only three official foreign trips since assuming office, which included participation in the United Nations General Assembly in the United States, a United Nations Development Programme Retreat in Kigali, Rwanda, and a meeting with the President of the African Development Bank in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Regarding the retreat in Kigali, it was clarified that it was organized by the Nigerian Governors Forum and fully sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme, absolving the government of any financial responsibility for the trip.
The statement highlighted, “The report erroneously attributed the money spent by the previous administration to our government’s spending. Our government has never employed private security services, nor have we witnessed any Ramadan period.”
Furthermore, the government expressed bewilderment at how funding for the Ramadan Fasting and Eid-el-Fitr (Sallah) gifts was wrongly ascribed to their administration.
Concluding with a firm commitment to upholding transparency and fulfilling the promises made to the people of Zamfara State, the administration reiterated its dedication to its comprehensive rescue mission, undeterred by any misinformation.
