A former principal private secretary to Bello Muhammad Matawalle the immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Lawal Umar Maradun, has rejected the Zamfara circle’s call to deploy Matawalle from state minister of defense as mischievous.
In a statement, Lawal Maradun described the call by Zamfara Circle, a Civil Society Organization based urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to redeploy Matawalle as politically motivated.
In the rejoinder obtained by SMARTS NEWS, Mr Umar Maradun says the call is malicious and an attempt to open a pandora’s box that will end up heating the polity.
“While it is essential to acknowledge the genuine concern for peace and security expressed by the Zamfara Circle, however, I am totally against the Circle’s appeal urging His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to redeploy Hon. Bello Matawalle, the immediate past Governor of Zamfara state and current Minister of State, Defence, to another Federal Ministry in a bid to enhance peace and counter the politicization of security in Zamfara.
“Equally, this call is malicious and an attempt to open a pandora’s box that will end up heating the polity, instead, Dauda should see Matawalle as a brother and his being in the Ministry of Defence as succor and relief.
“Just recently, Matawalle and his colleague in the Ministry with the assistance of the FGN deployed troops to safeguard our highway which every commuter is a testimony to the number of men on the road from Funtua to Gusau and from Gusau to Sokoto.
“The ongoing challenges related to banditry and insecurity in Zamfara demand collective attention and proactive measures to safeguard the lives and properties of the citizens residing in the state.
“But, advocating for the reassignment of Hon. Bello Matawalle from the Ministry of Defence to another Federal Ministry, with the intention of averting potential politicization of security in Zamfara, requires careful consideration.
“Zamfara Circle should know that it is imperative to recognise that decisions regarding the deployment and functioning of ministers are not made on the basis of appeasing a specific group’s concerns but rather on the merits of an individual’s competence, expertise, and suitability for a particular role,” Lawal Maradun countered.
However, the former PPS to Matawalle appreciates Zamfara Circle for their “genuine concerns” regarding security challenges in Zamfara state.
“Finally, the write-up from the Zamfara Circle is a wake-up call to Dauda who has been sleeping on duty, and this shows that ZC’s position in this matter stems from genuine concerns regarding the security situation in Zamfara.
Therefore, it is essential to emphasize the importance of making decisions that prioritize merit, competence, and an inclusive approach in addressing the complex issue of security in the state,” he concluded.
SMARTS NEWS reported that Zamfara Circle appealed to President Tinubu to redeploy Matawalle to another portfolio for the interest of peace and to block any loophole that may lead to politicization of security in Zamfara state.
The group also called on President Tinubu to establish the North West Development Commission to help in rebuilding the region for the much needed development.
