Nigeria

Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal Spent N400m on Foreign Trips? State Govt Reacts

Updated Thursday, November 23, 2023 at 6:57 PM by Segun Adeyemi

There are allegations surrounding Zamfara state governor, Dauda Lawal, of reckless spending of public funds.
A report revealed that the 58-year-old had spent N400 million on foreign trips since he assumed office in May.
However, the Zamfara state government released a statement and debunked the allegation.

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Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil society, courts, and metro

Gusau, Zamfara - Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal denied the allegation that he used over N400 million for overseas trips.

In a statement released by the state government, it was gathered that an online publication inaccurately claimed that Governor Dauda Lawal expended N170,276,294.31 on international travel and transport, N221,567,094 on local travel, and N6,929,500.00 on private security in a three-month period.

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Dauda Lawal, Zamfara — Governor Dauda Lawal is said to have embarked on only three foreign trips since he assumed office. Photo Credit: Zamfara State Government
Source: Twitter

In response, the governor's spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, in the statement issued on Thursday, November 23, asserted that troublemakers intentionally concocted the story to divert attention from the government.

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The statement reads in parts:

“We read a report alleging that Governor Dauda Lawal spent over N400 million on foreign trips. This is false and an attempt to tarnish the governor's image.

“The principles of transparency and accountability are the foundation of Governor Dauda Lawal's government. All relevant information can be found on the official website of the Zamfara State Government at zamfara.gov.ng.

“Published on the official website is a detailed report on the budget performance, which provides a breakdown of the Governor's spending on trips and other activities. Under Governor Dauda Lawal, we have implemented a system of complete transparency and accountability, leaving no room for misuse of funds."

Gov Lawal's foreign trips

Idris clarified that the misinformation stemmed from a deliberate misinterpretation of budget data, emphasising that the First, Second, and Third Quarters were under the purview of the previous administration.

The statement reads:

“It is therefore important to clarify that Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has only undertaken three official foreign trips since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.

"The three foreign trips were: attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in the United States of America; a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Retreat in Kigali, Rwanda; and a meeting with the President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire."

Zamfara govt accuses Tinubu’s minister Matawalle of squandering over N1bn

In another report, the minister of defence (state) and ex-governor of Zamfara state, Bello Matawalle, has been caught in the web of fresh allegations.

The Zamfara state government accused the ex-governor of squandering over N1 billion on an abandoned project.