I read with surprise the rejoinder issued by the Dauda Lawal Engagement and Sensitization Forum dismissing the viral document titled “ZAMFARA, Hijacked by Thieves!!” as a “malicious smear.” Unfortunately, the rejoinder raises more questions than it answers.
It failed to address the core issues that people expected. The Forum only responded to parts of the allegations and completely ignored others — especially the claim that the government awarded major contracts to non-indigenes.
At first, I did not want to say anything. But I felt compelled to speak after reading the rejoinder, because it still treats Zamfara people as ignorant, as backward villagers who lack enlightenment. Meanwhile, there are courageous, concerned citizens of Zamfara making genuine efforts to expose the looting of the state’s resources. What is most painful is that the actual indigenes of the state are not the ones benefiting from the money.
This is why Zamfara wealth continues to leak out of the state. This is why the people of Zamfara keep sinking deeper into poverty, hunger, and insecurity. It is this looting of Zamfara resources that has caused all of this.
Even though Governor Dauda has tried to keep Zamfara indigenes away from government, especially from areas where financial decisions are made, so that they won’t know what is being done with their wealth, but alhamdulillah it has not stopped the truth from coming out. The questions about how Zamfara wealth is being stolen in the name of projects are now public.
When citizens raise concerns about how public money is spent, the proper response is data, not denial.
The Forum says the claim of “$10M+ on trips” is a “fallacy” because it would appear in budget performance and audited reports.
If that is true, then it should be easy to prove. Zamfara people are asking: Publish the full breakdown of all domestic and foreign trips by the Governor and EXCO from May 2023 to date. Show us the GIFMIS vouchers, the estacode rates used, the number of trips, and the total amount spent under “Travel & Transport.”
Saying “estacode is a fraction” without stating what that fraction is settles nothing. Nigerians can now see federal estacode circulars online. Transparency means opening the books, not telling citizens to “trust us.”
On chartered flights: If no $60,000 charters occurred, release the flight manifests and payment records for all trips. Let the Auditor General’s report speak.
The Forum argues that Zamfara total 2024 budget was ₦426.5B, so the listed contracts cannot be real. That is a fair point — but only if the government proves it.
The burden of proof lies with government. Citizens are asking:
1. Upload all contract awards 2023-2026 on the Zamfara BPP/Due Process portal with contract sums, company names, and BPP certificates.
2. Clarify the status of projects mentioned: Gusau Airport upgrade, Yanware Road, Dansadau Road, Investment House, hospital renovations, and vehicle purchases. What are the approved sums, contractors, and completion levels?
3. For donor projects like NG-CARES, AGILE, ACReSAL, L-PRES: Publish the IFR reports, DLIs, and list of local vendors/beneficiaries. Who are the PIU consultants and contractors?
Naming companies without proof is wrong. But refusing to publish contract data is also wrong. The portal exists for this purpose.
I commend the ongoing work: the airport upgrade, hospital rehabilitation, and road construction across the 14 LGAs. Some of them are visible and deserve applause.
But “projects on ground” do not cancel questions about process. You can build roads and still ask how contracts were awarded, to whom, and at what cost. The two are not mutually exclusive.
The real issue in the original document was not whether projects exist. It was:
- Who is getting them?
- Are indigenes being sidelined?
- Are prices inflated?
- Are small contractors, civil servants, and students being well paid?
The rejoinder did not address the claim that “over 90% of contracts above ₦5B went to non-indigenes” or that “indigene contractors only hold contracts in name.” It did not address allegations about skills programs, fertilizer, and empowerment funds. Silence on specifics looks like avoidance.
The Forum’s invitation for a “public verification session with the Ministry of Finance, Due Process, and the Auditor General” is welcome and we accept it but with conditions.
For it to mean anything, it must be:
1. Open: Broadcast live and attended by CSOs, the media, NLC, NANS, and traditional rulers.
2. Documented: Every figure must be backed with vouchers, contracts, ando bank statements.
3. Independent: Include external auditors, not just government officials.
Zamfara people don’t want press conferences on this issue. We want receipts.
In Conclusion, calling critics “merchants of falsehood” will not build trust. What builds trust is data.
If the $10M trip claim is false, show us the real figure.
If the ₦700B contract list is fake, show us the real contract register.
If indigenes are not being sidelined, show us the list of beneficiaries by LGA.
Governor Dauda Lawal was elected on the “RESCUE” mandate. Rescue means rescuing public funds from waste, and rescuing citizens from poverty and insecurity. That mandate will be judged not by press statements, but by transparency.
Zamfara people are not asking for perfection. We are asking for honesty.
The books are with government. The questions are with the people. Let’s meet in the middle — with facts.
Khalifa Ja'afar writes from Gusau
