Matawalle, family allegedly linked to N2bn schools feeding scam

Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle and his family have been allegedly linked to the diversion of about N2bn in schools feeding scam.

This was disclosed by Aminu Umar, Principal Private Secretary to the impeached deputy governor of Zamfara, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau.

Umar, a self-styled ‘Zamfara Whistleblower’, disclosed that, the state Governor Matawalle releases the sum of Two hundred million Naira monthly for schools feeding at a time the schools were shut down in August 2021 and reopened in January, 2022.

He said that from September, 2021 to January 2022 One Billion Naira (N1bn) was withdrawn from the coffers of the State government with no food provided for students.

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Revealing the secret of the government, Umar alleged that the state governor approved and received alerts of all government transactions, indicating that ‘he is fully aware about the money’.

He said, ‘even the Governor’s wife and first lady of the state has in the name of fighting COVID-19 received Thirty Six Million Naira (N36,000,000.00) from the state ministry of Health with name of “production of 100,000 reusable face masks for the state government through the state ministry of health which is saddled with the responsibility of the fight against CoronaVirus Pandemic” as stated in the memo the Governor approved the payment’.

According to him, the money was also pocketed.

Umar revealed that the facemasks were neither being produced nor distributed as claimed in the letter requesting the payment signed by the former commissioner of Health, Yahaya Muhammad Kanoma and subsequently approved by the state governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle.

He also that, ‘the Junior brother to the Governor, Aminu Maradun collected the sum of Eight Hundred Million Naira (N800,000,000.00) from the state ministry of finance disguised in the name of buying Gold for the state government but did not make any supply of the gold’s to the state government.

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Aminu Umar added, ‘all this misappropriation and diversion were coming up when the State government deliberately refused to settle examination fees with the WAEC and NECO since 2019 to date thereby pushing the affected students in an uncertainty and crippled the educational system of the state.

Although an official of Zamfara government who preferred anonymity, has since debunked the allegations, Umar, is challenging the Governor to give account of the whereabouts of the money of the state battling with insecurity, hunger and poor leadership.

Umar had earlier challenged Governor Bello Matawalle to explain to the public how he spent over N31bn allocation he collected in 31 months.

He insisted that the governor needed to give a detailed explanation on how he utilised the huge amount of money he received as security vote and allocation to his office in 31 months.

In an earlier statement, he explained that in 31 months of Matawalle’s administration he allegedly collected N600m as security vote; N350m as cash allocation for his office; N30m for the office of his PPS and another N30m as cash allocation to the Government House.

Umar said, “If the amount is multiplied by 31 months, it will be equal to N31.3bn.”

But an aide of the governor, who asked not to be named, was quoted to have said that Umar was merely regurgitating baseless old allegations.