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By Imrana Abdullahi
Governor Dauda Lawal Engagement and Sensitization Forum has dismissed allegations of financial management levelled against Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, describing the claims of over $10 million spent on foreign trips and more than ₦700 billion awarded in contracts as fabricated and politically motivated.
The forum, in a rejoinder to a publication titled “Zamfara, Hijacked by Thieves!!”, said the allegations were based on exaggerated figures and unsubstantiated claims designed to discredit the administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It challenged the author of the publication and other concerned citizens to present evidence of the alleged expenditures, including contract award documents, procurement records, flight details and financial trails.
According to the forum, official travels by the governor and members of the State Executive Council are captured under the Travel and Transport provisions of the state’s Appropriation Law and processed through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), subject to audit.
It also rejected claims that the governor and his aides spent more than $10 million on about 40 trips, including alleged first-class tickets, chartered flights and special allowances.
The group maintained that the alleged $40,000 to $50,000 special allowance per trip was not provided for under Zamfara State financial regulations, adding that official estacode rates are governed by established government regulations.
On the alleged ₦700 billion contracts awarded to cronies, the forum said the figures could not be reconciled with the state’s financial resources and approved budgets.
It noted that Zamfara State’s 2024 approved budget stood at ₦426.5 billion and questioned how contracts allegedly worth more than ₦700 billion could have been awarded without corresponding budgetary provisions, bills of quantities and procurement documentation.
The forum further stated that contracts above the stipulated threshold were expected to pass through the state’s due process and procurement mechanisms, insisting that allegations involving specific companies must be supported with verifiable contract numbers and procurement records.
It also clarified that programmes supported by the World Bank and other development partners, including NG-CARES, AGILE, ACReSAL and L-PRES, operate through dedicated implementation structures and separate procurement and reporting mechanisms.
The group said such interventions were subject to results-based disbursements, verification and reporting to relevant federal agencies and development partners, contrary to claims that the funds were simply “shared.”
Defending the governor’s performance, the forum listed ongoing projects in aviation, healthcare, roads, education, water supply and security across the state’s 14 local government areas.
It said the Gusau International Airport, which was initiated by a previous administration, had been completed under Governor Lawal, with further upgrading and modernisation ongoing to improve the facility and meet international standards.
According to the forum, the administration is also rehabilitating and equipping hospitals, including the Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital in Gusau, while providing new wards, maternal and child healthcare facilities, solar power installations and modern medical equipment.
It added that road construction and rehabilitation were ongoing in Gusau, Tsafe, Talata-Mafara, Anka and Maru, alongside rural feeder roads intended to connect farming communities to markets.
The forum further cited investments in education, rural water supply and support for security agencies as part of the administration’s efforts to address the state’s development and security challenges.
On transparency, the group said monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) receipts, budget performance reports and procurement processes were available for verification by relevant authorities and members of the public.
It consequently invited the author of the publication to a public verification session involving the Ministries of Finance and Due Process, as well as the Accountant General’s office.
The forum urged Zamfara residents to disregard what it described as malicious and unsubstantiated allegations, insisting that the performance of the Lawal administration should be judged by verifiable records and projects being executed across the state.
It concluded that the administration would remain focused on its development agenda and would not be distracted by what it called politically motivated attempts to undermine its achievements
