Matawale vs Lawal: Tinubu’s Minister Breaks Silence on Plots To Get Him Sacked
- The minister of state for defence, Bello Matawalle, has responded to the allegations of embezzlement against him
- The former Zamfara state governor said the allegations were schemes used by Governor Dauda Lawal to tarnish his legacy
- He said the incumbent governor was not pleased with the fact that he was appointed as minister in President Bola Tinubu's cabinet
Bello Matawalle, the former governor of Zamfara and current minister of state for defence, has responded to corruption allegations made against him by the incumbent governor of the state, Dauda Lawal.
Matawalle served as Zamfara's governor from 2019 to 2023 but lost his re-election bid to Dauda Lawal, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.
Source: Facebook
Recently, the Zamfara government accused Matawalle of misappropriating a significant amount of money from the state's cargo airport project.
It also alleged that Matawalle directed the ministry of local government to withdraw one billion naira from the local government joint account on October 25, 2021, and pay N825 million to contractors without proper valuation.
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The state government further claimed Matawalle approved a 100% payment of over one billion naira for the fencing, landscaping, and furnishing of governor's lodges in 14 local government areas, along with other financial irregularities.
Matawalle responds to allegations
In an interview with DCL Hausa, Matawalle accused Governor Lawal of spreading false information against him, asserting that the challenges in the state did not originate during his administration.
Matawalle argued that the allegations were an attempt to remove him from his ministerial position.
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.
“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.”
He also claimed Lawal was deliberately tarnishing his legacy to portray him as a governor who did not work for the people of the state.
He said Lawal's actions might be motivated by resentment over Matawalle's appointment as a minister by Tinubu.
Gov Lawal in fresh asset declaration scandal as anti-graft group kicks
In another report, Lawal was accused of false assets declaration in the build-up to his emergence in office.
An anti-graft group questioned his wealth after getting hold of a document allegedly showing his assets.
The group also demanded that the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) clarify how Governor Lawal was verified.
Source: Legit.ng
