Suleiman Shuaibu Delivers Swift Rebuttal to "Faceless" Allegations Against Ex-Gov Matawalle
Criticizing Claims of Mismanaged Funds: Previous Aide Challenges Colleagues Over Alleged Misappropriation of ₦528 Billion
Suleiman Shuaibu, a former advisor to ex-Zamfara Governor Bello Matawalle, has stood tall in the face of accusations suggesting that his former boss mismanaged funds to the tune of over ₦528bn during his tenure as governor from 2019 to 2023.
According to reports, a group, the Concerned Northern Forum, led by Aliyu Sani, made these claims at a press conference in Kaduna. The group alleged that Matawalle had misused funds from various sources, including the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), Joint Account Allocation Committee, and domestic loans.
However, Shuaibu, who served as Matawalle's Special Adviser on Bilateral and Multilateral Affairs, promptly dismissed these allegations, branding the group as "faceless." In an interview with Punch, he defended his former boss, attributing the accusations to envy over Matawalle's continued rise within the political sphere.
Speaking candidly, Shuaibu declared, "I know the budget of the state. I know the FAAC allocation and I know how we shared the FAAC allocations. I know what we left in the treasury of Zamfara State - N11bn before handing over."
He also highlighted his involvement as part of a transition committee, consisting of members from both the outgoing and incoming governments, to facilitate a smooth handover. "It is even uncalled for, for anybody to come and say that Matawalle embezzled that kind of money," Shuaibu commented.
Challenging the believability of the figures being thrown around, he questioned, "Where will he get that kind of money from to squander? How much is the state allocation? It's N4bn, and if it goes up, we get N5bn, and in that N5bn, we paid salaries of workers to the tune of almost 8,670 staff."
While some may perceive the allegations against Matawalle as politically motivated, Shuaibu believes that "Matawalle has been elevated by God and our opponents don't like it. They want to see Matawalle down and they will never see Matawalle down because he's doing the assignment he was given to do and he's doing it perfectly well."
As the investigation into the allegations unfolds, followed by EFCC, let's await the official outcome to sort the truth from fiction.
- Following the claims made by the Concerned Northern Forum, Tinubu, a former advisor to ex-Zamfara Governor Matawalle, defended his stance by stating that he knows the budget of the state, the FAAC allocation, and the funds left in the treasury before handover, which stands at ₦11bn.
- Amid allegations of mismanagement of funds amounting to over ₦528bn, the PDP and the politics surrounding the election are closely watching the investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as the case may impact general news and policy-and-legislation discussions.
- In the wake of the ongoing investigation into the alleged mismanagement of funds under Matawalle's tenure, many speculate that these accusations against the ex-Governor could be politically motivated, with Suleiman Shuaibu, a former advisor to Matawalle, asserting that his former boss has been elevated by God and his opponents want to see him down, but will never succeed due to his effective work within the political sphere.
