Sources revealed to SaharaReporters that the Zamfara State government under Matawalle allegedly plotted to sell the office complex to one of his associates for a paltry sum of N600 million.
Less than two months before the expiration of his tenure, fresh facts have emerged of the plan by the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle to sell the Zamfara Liaison office located in Kaduna to one of his cronies.
Sources revealed to SaharaReporters that the Zamfara State government under Matawalle allegedly plotted to sell the office complex to one of his associates for a paltry sum of N600 million.
The liaison office, which is located at No. 5 Sambo Road, Kaduna, is reportedly valued at over N1.2 billion, considering its size and urban location.
A private contractor H.B. Gada and owner of H.B. Gada Global Investment Nigeria Limited has been in court with the Zamfara State government over the government’s alleged refusal to pay a balance of N270 million out of the debt incurred for the refurbishing of the said liaison office.
H.B. Gada had earlier obtained a judgment in his favour by the High Court of Justice Gusau, Zamfara State, in Suit No: ZMS/GS/TR/25/2017, delivered on February 28, 2018. In addition, the judgment was subsequently registered at the High Court of Justice in Kaduna State, with the leave of court granted on April 30, 2019.
Leave was equally granted to the judgment creditor for the attachment and sale of all the moveable properties in the Liaison Office of Zamfara State, Kaduna, for the satisfaction of the judgment debt in Suit No: ZMS/GSffR/25/2017, and registered at the Kaduna State High Court in Suit No: KDH/KAD/313/2019 on the 30th day of April 2019.
SaharaReporters learnt that the outgoing governor abandoned the building and halted payment to the contractor who refurbished the building. But in a twist of the event, the state government’s valuers have undervalued the property to pave the way for the prospective buyer.
One of the sources, a worker in the liaison office who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed concern over the fallout of the alleged mismanagement of affairs that the incoming government would need to handle. Among them is the fallout of the ongoing plot to sell the liaison office in Kaduna, the source said.
"The outgoing government has perfected plans to sell the Zamfara Liaison Office in Kaduna. The process is in the final stage at the moment.
“And it is people very close to the governor that are bidding for it at the sum of N600 million," the source added.
Meanwhile, efforts made by SaharaReporters to get a reaction from the Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Zailani Bapa, were not successful as repeated calls to his mobile phone were not answered. He also did not reply to a text message sent to him.