DEBT CLAIM: I left N7bn credit, not N252bn debt for Matawalle – Ex-Gov Yari

Apparently worried over the debt claim against him, the immediate past governor of Zamfara state, Governor AbdulAziz Yari on Tuesday debunked the allegation that he left a debt of N252 billion for the current governor, Bello Muhammad Matawalle.

According to him, he left over N7 billion for the take-off of the Matawalle’s administration.

The former governor revealed this through his media aide, Malam Ibrahim Dosara, at the APC Secretariat in Gusau.

He added that he paid a debt of over N45 billion left behind by the administration before him.

Yari’s reacting was coming following some allegation by the Chairman of PDP Transition Committee, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala, that he left behind over N252 billion.

The allegation, the former governor said, could not be swept under the carpet.

He also maintained that Zamfara people enjoyed dividends of democracy under his administration with the inauguration of projects by President Muhammad Buhari, All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and many more prominent dignitaries.

Read also: Osinbajo lies as much as the ‘devil’ that he preaches against —Jonathan

Yari stressed that the allegations were baseless and an effort to smear his image.

He said that it was astonishing to note that Wakkala who was his deputy and Chairman, Zamfara Stare Tender Board could not differentiate between ongoing projects, awarded projects, and what should be addressed as liabilities and debts.

“No bank loan was left or obtained by the Ministry of Finance under Governor Abdul Aziz Yari and left behind as debt to the present administration.”

On education, he said: “There were debts inherited by Yari from the administration before him and his administration on inception met with the various examination bodies, which Wakkala claimed Yari’s administration owed. Yari negotiated with the bodies to pay the debt by instalments”, the media aid said.

The former governor explained that his government paid the examination and tuition fees of Zamfara State students.

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