Dauda Lawal, the governor of Zamfara State, has claimed that he resumed to an empty state treasury.
In an interview with TVC on Wednesday in Abuja, the governor revealed that he inherited N13 billion in unpaid pensions and gratuities from previous administrations in the state.
However, he noted that his administration has settled around N9 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 pensions and gratuities date back to 2011, which is 13 years before his administration.
He expressed concern over the heavy burden placed on his administration.
Accumulated debt backlogs from the previous administration, including sectors such as education, electricity, and water resources, seem to be weighing down Lawal’s government.
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 empty treasury with a backlog of four months’ salaries for Zamfara State workers. We were able to settle that. We are set to settle N1.3 billion for NECO. We were able to settle N1.4 billion for WAEC. We also settled N1.4 billion for Kedco because, when we took over, almost all the ministries, including the government house, were disconnected from electricity.
Since 2011, Zamfara has not paid pensions and gratuities to the tune of N13.4 billion. Guess what? We have already cleared about N9 billion as of today. The remaining balance will be paid within the next couple of months,” Lawal said.