Yari: He Could Not Pay Minimum Wage Of N18k As Gov, But He Can Pay N41b In Debt – Chidi Odinkalu
Yari: He Could Not Pay Minimum Wage Of N18k As Gov, But He Can Pay N41b In Debt – Chidi Odinkalu
Prominent human rights activist and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chidi Odinkalu, has criticised former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari over his alleged handling of public funds while in office.
Odinkalu expressed his position in a statement posted on his official X account on Friday, August 21, 2026, questioning the former governor’s financial priorities during his tenure.
The human rights lawyer highlighted what he described as a sharp contrast between Yari’s reported difficulty in paying public servants the minimum wage and his alleged ability to provide more than N40 billion to settle the debt of a private company.
“Yari was Governor of Zamfara State from 2011 to 2019,” Odinkalu wrote. “For most of that time, he insisted that he could not afford to pay a minimum wage of N18,000 to public servants in the state. Now, it turns out he had over N40 Billion to clear the debt of a company.”
Odinkalu argued that former public officials should remain subject to scrutiny over decisions made while they were in office, particularly where public funds are involved.
His comments come amid public discussion over the reported settlement of billions of naira in liabilities involving a commercial entity during Yari’s administration.
The statement has also renewed calls from commentators and civil society voices for greater transparency and accountability in the management of state resources.
Odinkalu’s criticism centres on whether the financial decisions attributed to the former administration were properly justified and whether relevant oversight authorities should examine the circumstances surrounding the reported expenditure.
