Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence, has reacted to corruption allegations levelled against him by the Zamfara government.
Matawalle served as governor of Zamfara from 2019 to 2023.
He lost his re-election bid to Dauda Lawal, governor of the state, who was candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recently, the Zamfara government accused Matawalle of embezzling billions of naira from the state cargo airport project.
The state government alleged that the former governor directed the ministry of local government to withdraw N1 billion from the local government joint account on October 25, 2021, and to pay N825 million to the contractors without any valuation.
The state government also alleged that Matawalle approved 100 percent payment of over one billion naira for fencing, landscaping, and furnishing of governor’s lodges in 14 LGAs.
The former governor was also accused of other forms of financial recklessness.
MATAWALLE SPEAKS
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa, the former Zamfara governor accused Lawal of sponsoring lies against him, adding that the challenges in the state did not begin with his administration.
Matawalle claimed that the allegations are designed to initiate his removal as minister.
The former governor accused Lawal of destroying his legacies in order to humiliate him as a governor who did not work for the people of the state.
“On the issue of the airport road, after Dauda became governor, he deceived the people by saying he was going to repair the airport road, only for him to take a bulldozer there and scrap the road we already constructed,” he said.
“He did that to humiliate me and to say Matawalle did not work in the state. He did the same thing with Ruga. We did everything, and invested money but he destroyed the Ruga.
“He should know that he didn’t do that to me but cheated the people of Zamfara.
“He also cheated himself because he took an oath to protect the lives and properties of the people of Zamfara.
“Just one of the airport roads, it cost over N4 billion but he came out lying about everything.
“He also destroyed our infrastructural projects in the state just so he could come out and lie against me.
“I heard what he said about state education. I have the documents but he refused to understand because he is so blinded trying to humiliate me.
“Sponsoring people to lie and say despicable things about me won’t push your agenda of me being removed as a minister.”
Matawalle said Lawal loathes the fact that he was appointed minister by President Bola Tinubu.
(The Cable)
