The Zamfara State chapter of the APC just came across a sham supposedly written by Haliru Andi, PDP's spokesperson in the state but we strongly believe it was written on Andi's behalf because the writer doesn't even know that Funtua is not in Kaduna but in Katsina state.
Be as it may, we find it very much necessary to respond to the dense write-up which clearly represents how his (Andi's) principal and Zamfara governor Dauda Lawal is handling governance with enmity against just one person, his predecessor and current Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle at the detriment of Zamfara citizens while at the same time using the people to claim his cowardly innocence.
To start with, the Honourable Minister of State for Defence has made several efforts to connect with the governor both privately and publicly to find ways of tackling armed banditry in Zamfara even though he is a minister of the federal republic of Nigeria but as a citizen of Zamfara, its immediate past governor and a minister, he feels genuinely committed to stand up for his state as its ambassador, but all he always receives from Dauda and his agents are bashings including the saying at many fora directly from the governor that they have nothing to take from Matawalle in the form of advice or action in addressing the insecurity bedeviling the state.
Concerned by the growing insecurity in Zamfara which is considered the hub of armed bandits however, the federal government under the focused leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the Minister of State for Defence to move the Defence Ministry and the Chief of Defence Staff to the north west region and fully tackle the bandits with a view to eliminating them.
Seeing Zamfara not only as his state but as the supposed bandits' hub, the Minister suggested that the operational base should be Zamfara because it is also central in the region bordering almost all the affected states, so he began to make efforts to contact governor Dauda who has the mandate to give a site and his support for this onerous task.
Instead of jumping to the golden opportunity to save his people, the governor vehemently refused to answer Matawalle and even directed his aides against answering any calls traced to the Minister and since time was running out and in order to avoid the governor's earlier non-cooperative stance against the federal government when he once made noise that the federal government was taking action against bandits without consulting him as the chief security officer of his state, the Minister moved the operational base to the neighbouring Sokoto State where the governor and the people of the state expressed willingness and happiness to support the operation, a development which led to overwhelming successes against the bandits including the elimination of their topmost leader, Halilu Sububu.
As expected however, the governor, the government and not the people of Zamfara was not happy that of all people, Matawalle's coordination is succeeding after they made several efforts and blackmail to portray to the world through all available means that the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle cannot do it.
First, the governor and his aides tried to lay unsuccessful claims to make the operation look as if he (Dauda) was the one in charge, then they began to call on the federal government to sack Matawalle, only that they do not have tangible reason and now through the state PDP spokesperson, Andi, they want the Minister to be removed because he has been hailed over the successes being recorded against the bandits in all the states of the region.
While the Sokoto State governor, Ahmed Aliyu has constructed military barrack in Isa local government with all required facilities and amenities, three Forward Operation Base FOB to ease Air force operations in his state as complementary to the federal government efforts, the request to replicate these through the provision of land for similar gesture strategically in Tsafe, Maru and Maradun to governor Dauda in Zamfara was not even listened to by the governor, thus, if the PDP was a serious party, it should take action against the governor as its agent who does not blink when the lives and property of his people are innocently being wasted by wanton criminals.
The currently inaugurated War-Hangers in Sokoto courtesy of governor Ahmad Aliyu who donated the state Hajj Camp to serve as an operational base for the operation in order to win the war against banditry in his state which he appreciated the federal government efforts is another step in the right direction.
What is expected from the blindfolded Zamfara PDP government is to either commend the minister's proactiveness by engaging directly with the local communities in Sokoto's Gundumi forest in Isa local government, Turba, Tsamaye, Hawan Doro and Mai Lalle communities of Sabon Birnin which all share borders with Shinkafi local government area of Zamfara State or keep their guts shut.
The mission of the Minister's visit is to assess the security situation in the area with a view to restore peace and security across the northwest states
Lots of measures have been put in place such as deployment of more troops to the area which now make bandits flee while some are being neutralised.
However the Minister has announced officially that the federal government will establish three military formations in Sokoto that will combat bandry.
Let PDP and Dauda Lawal understand that the entire operation is for the Northwest not Zamfara alone and federal government has the right to station its troops or operation from any where in the country where it believes it will succeed without any sabotage from the state government like that of Zamfara.
We advise him to focus on meeting his campaigns promises not to divulge in unnecessary or divisive noise making.
Governance is a collective effort not a one man show or cabalism as he is operating in Zamfara State.
He should know family and friends are good in dinners, lunch and party not serious government business.
His envy of Matawalle will never succeed and time will tell ..