The Zamfara Concerned Citizens Forum (ZCCF) wishes to draw the attention of the public, anti-corruption agencies, and all lovers of justice to the alarming financial recklessness being perpetrated by Governor Dauda Lawal Dare in the name of road construction across Gusau metropolis.
Our investigation reveals that the state government has awarded a highly suspicious contract covering the routes of dualization of Unguwar Gwaza Roundabout to Gusau Airport Road (10km) at N24.8 billions , Dualization of Daza Road linking Kaura Namoda/ Sokoto Federal Highways (4.6) Km at 11.8 billions, Rehabilitation of Muhammad Buhari Way (Tudun Wada), JB Yakubu Road (Canteen Area), Aminu Aliyu Road and Bebeji Road N8.2 billions (6.2km) on an outrageous cost of ₦44 billion. This translates to an average of unbelievable ₦2.4 billion per kilometer for ordinary road construction, without a single underpass bridge, without culverts, and without any compensation to residents or businesses affected by the project.
According to the group’s secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim Marafa, “This is not just inflation of figures; it is a direct assault on the collective intelligence and future of Zamfara people. What Governor Dauda Lawal Dare has done is not development — it is open looting dressed in the language of progress.”
It is important to note that this same project was originally captured in the 2025 state budget at ₦14 billion, yet the governor brazenly increased it by a staggering ₦26 billion, raising the total to ₦44 billion without any justifiable reason. “Even the Federal Government, with far more complex road designs, does not award road projects at such criminal rates,” Marafa added.
In comparison, federal roads in the FCT cost around ₦1.8 billion per kilometer, and similar projects outside Abuja average ₦1.4 billion. In Sokoto and Kebbi States, comparable road works are executed at ₦800 million per kilometer — a fraction of what Zamfara is now being forced to pay under Lawal Dare’s administration.
“This contract is a daylight robbery against a state already crippled by poverty, insecurity, and unemployment,” Marafa lamented. “While citizens cry for food, jobs, and safety, the governor is busy enriching his political allies with Zamfara’s future.”
The Zamfara Concerned Citizens Forum therefore calls on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the ICPC, and the Presidency to urgently investigate this monumental fraud before more public funds are siphoned under this administration.
ZCCF remains committed to defending the interests of the people and will continue to speak out against corruption, mismanagement, and reckless governance in Zamfara State.
