Imagine resuming office as a governor, only to find that the state’s treasury is empty. That is the situation Dauda Lawal, the governor of Zamfara State, found himself.
One cannot begin to imagine to shock on Lawal’s face after realizing that he is set to govern a state without money.
What made matters worse is the fact that Dauda Lawal did not only inherited an emptied treasury, but he inherited a huge amount of debt, including salaries and unpaid pensions.
That is when Lawal realized that he was in for a long ride.
Who would have done such an evil deed?
Could it be his predecessors?
Well, that is a story for another day.
For now, let’s see how Governor Dauda Lawal is handling the situation.
Lawal appeared in an interview with TVC on Wednesday in Abuja.
Unpaid Pension In Zamfara
There, the governor of Zamfara revealed that he inherited a total sum of ₦13 billion as unpaid pension and gratuity from previous administrations in the State.
However, he noted that his administration has managed to settle around ₦9 billion of the debt owed to Zamfara workers, adding that the remaining balance will be cleared in the coming months.
The issue of unpaid pensions and salaries is not new to the system.
Lawal made it known that the said pensions and gratuities date back to 2011, that is 13 years before his administration.
Lawal cried out over the heavy burden saddled on his administration.
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Accumulated debt backlogs from the previous administration, including sectors such as education, electricity, and water resources, seem to be weighing down Lawal’s government.
A Very Emptied Treasury
However, the state governor is confident and determined, according to him, his government is diligently working to resolve the issue of debt.
In his words: “We inherited a very emptied treasury with the backlog of 4 months salaries of Zamfara State workers.
We are able to settle that. We are to settle ₦1.3 billion NECO. My government has been able to settle ₦1.4 billion WAEC.
“We were able to settle ₦1.4 Kedco because when we took over almost all the ministries, including the government house were disconnected from electricity.
“Since 2011, Zamfara has not paid pension and gratuity to the tune of ₦13.4 billion. Guess what? We have already cleared about ₦9 billion as of today. The remaining balance will be paid within the next couple of months,” Lawal said.
