Yari Paid Himself N300m Before Leaving Office In May – Matawalle

The Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has revealed how his predecessor, Abdulaziz Yari, paid himself N300million severance before leaving office in May.

Governor Matawalle stated this while assenting to the repealed law that stops former governors, deputy governors, speakers of the state House of Assembly from collecting about a billion Naira annually.

He noted that “the repealed law which was hurriedly passed by the immediate past administration of the state did not take into account the social and economic realities of the state.”

The Zamfara State governor stated his administration would only pay allowances as provided by the Revenue and Fiscal Mobilization Commission.

“I was shocked when I received a letter from former governor Yari for the payment of the money that the failure of which I learned, the former governor threatened my administration with a court case.”

“I called a meeting with my deputy, as well as the speaker of the state House of Assembly and we all agreed that we do not have any interest in such retirement allowance.”

He accused the past administration in the state of leaving behind pensions liabilities of local government workers, primary school teachers and state civil servants amounting to about N10 billion.

“Apart from other liabilities such as promotion benefits, workers annual increment and the rest which have put the state in a terrible financial quagmire.”

He noted that the former governor of Zamfara State is requesting for the sum of N120 million annually, made up of a monthly upkeep allowance of N10 million.

Matawalle revealed that Yari wrote the state government as he wanted to collect the exact amount he was collecting as his monthly salary while as governor.

“In addition to these, he is supposed to get two vehicles to be bought by the State Government and replaceable after every four years; free medical treatment for former Governor and his immediate families and vacation within Nigeria and outside.”

“Thirty days vacation within Nigeria or outside Nigeria and a 5-bedroom house in any location of the choice of the former Governor within the country”.

He added that the new law also affects former Deputy Governors, former Speakers of the State Assembly, and former Deputy Speakers.

“If allowed thus, it will overstretch the lean resources of the state at a time when the same people who were supposed to pay the meagre amount as pensions to retired civil servants refused to do so and handed them over as liabilities to the present administration,” Mutawalle said.