In a statement signed by its Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim Marafa, the Forum said Matawalle’s administration stood out as a model of purposeful leadership that revived the state’s civil service and restored confidence among long-neglected employees.
The group recalled that Matawalle refunded over ₦932m in pension funds that had been wrongfully withheld from workers’ salaries and recovered ₦3.5bn belonging to state, local government and Universal Basic Education Board staff — a move they described as a rare act of accountability in public service.