Zamfara: Matawalle paid civil servants N7,000 as salary – Minister’s ex-aide slams APC

Mr Lawal Idris, a former Senior Special Assistant to the immediate past Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has slammed his former boss, describing his administration as a failure.

He described the tenure of Matawalle as the dark days of political upheavals, economic stagnation, insecurity and confusion, when civil servants were owed months of their wages and pensions.

According to him, his former principal could not pay the then minimum wage of N30,000.00, but paid N7000.00 to civil servants.

He said this in response to a factional All Progressives Congress, APC, Publicity Secretary in the State, Yusuf Idris Gusau, who said that the payment of the much awaited N70,000.00 minimum wage by Gov Dauda Lawal was a deceit to hoodwink civil servants that he is an action governor who has their welfare at heart.

In response, Idris, a former aide to Matawalle, said that the APC is envious of the achievements of Gov Lawal in barely two years in office, which according to him, surpassed the four years of the immediate past APC-led government of Matawalle.

According to him, the APC is still groaning over its defeat in the 2023 governorship election.

Writing on behalf of Zamfara Rescue Movement, Idris said, “To state that the governor is working hard, particularly in the implementation of the minimum wage to civil servants as a ‘deceit' to gain their support is a deliberate distortion of [truth].

“To distort facts and try to incite citizens against the government they overwhelmingly voted into office and still support is unpatriotic and counterproductive.

“Partisan politics should be set aside as the government strives to provide dividends of democracy to citizens.

“This is what APC failed to understand. Politics of bitterness has no place in Zamfara State, which was why the people voted out the party in the 2023 gubernatorial election and why the party also remains factionalized in the state without direction and future.

“The government of Bello Matawalle of APC could not pay then minimum wage of N30,000.00, instead he paid N7000.00 to civil servants for a month salary.

“Civil servants were demoralised and impoverished which grossly affected their potentials and productivity essential in charting economic growth and prosperity.

“Despite this meagre salary workers and pensioners were equally owed months of their wages and pensions; promotion, human capital development trainings etc, were suspended due to lack of initiatives and strategic management of scarce resources.

“It was this atmosphere of despondency and insecurity that compelled the good people of Zamfara State to vote out a sitting governor, Bello Matawalle of APC.

“For the people of Zamfara, the dark days of political upheavals, economic stagnation, insecurity and confusion in governance is over.

“All benefits to former members of the State House of Assembly were settled, funds to Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state withheld for two years by the Matawalle's administration were released.”