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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has reacted to corruption allegations levelled against him by the Zamfara State Government.
Matawalle was governor of Zamfara State between May 29, 2019 and May 29, 2023.
He lost his re-election bid to Dauda Lawal, the incumbent governor of the state and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 election.
Recently, the state government accused Matawalle of embezzling billions of naira from the 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 pay N825 million to the contractors without any valuation.
The state government also alleged that Matawalle approved 100 per cent payment of over N1 billion for fencing, landscaping, and furnishing of governor’s lodges in 14 local government areas.
The former governor was also accused of other forms of financial recklessness.
But in an interview with DCL Hausa, the minister 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 from his current position as minister.
He accused Lawal of destroying his legacies in order to humiliate and portray him 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 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 property 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,” he said.
Matawalle added that Lawal loathes the fact that he was appointed minister by President Bola Tinubu.