It’s really highly unfortunate that a body that is supposed to be apolitical such as Zamfara circle for the simple fact that one of them and a former leader of the body is made a Commissioner in the Dauda Lawal Dare led government that the members would throw away all sense of reasoning, abandon the general concern of the state and begin to join the state governor through the circle’s member and commissioner to castigate the APC and its leader in the state, Hon. Minister of State Defence, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle and calling for his redeployment as Minister of Defence.
In a mischievous write up signed by the circle chairman, Aminu M Lawal and pretending to show (deceptive) concern over the increasing spate of insecurity via armed banditry and kidnappings, the main message the said Aminu tried to send out is the call while being used by his pay masters on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sack Matawalle from the federal cabinet.
Thank God that the president knows full well why he appointed Matawalle Minister especially following the good initiative of the Minister that decimated bandits and other criminal activities in the state when he was governor.
It is still fresh in Zamfara people’s memories how Matawalle dealt with the killer gangs as against what is happening now, with the bandits and other criminals fully based in all parts of the state including the state capital, Gusau with the latest killing being that of a veteran journalist, Comrade Hamisu Muhammad Danjibga of the Voice of Nigeria.
To clear the ignorance of Aminu however, let’s take him through the nation’s 1999 constitution as amended particularly on security where it is clearly spelt out that it is only the President and Commander In Chief who is responsible for securing every inch of the nation’s air, land and water territory with the governors having no power to command any security officer apart from offering support to ease security operations as may be required in their respective states. Check sections 130, 176 (I), 218 (l) and 215 (IV) and make reference instead of just vomiting what they asked you to.
It is on record that Matawalle, even before he was nominated Minister designate called on governor Dauda to join hands with stakeholders including past leaders to find ways of addressing the security challenges facing the state to which unfortunately Dauda, speaking through his aide responded with what can be regarded as ‘insult’ to such calls.
It is when Matawalle became Minister of Defence that we see an increased military presence on our highways with travelers now enjoying safe passage through Zamfara.
Therefore, if the circle or any of its members in support of what the likes of its chairman are made to do or want to join politics, they should freely do so rather than the pretense path they chose.
What is expected from the circle is to condemn the Zamfara governor for total abdication of his primary responsibilities while his house is on fire with over 40 Students of the Federal University Gusau abducted and he still remained abroad only for him to be apportioning blames on the federal government because the innocent students are not his own or his family members’ or associates
Let the Zamfara circle know that the governor was in the country when the incidents happened but he jetted out by 4:00pm to the United States without any sympathy.
But since the incident happened the federal government and its security agencies are on top of the situation and currently a military detachment has been deployed to the University and it can be verified by the university authorities.
But to my greatest dismay the circle resorted in an empty appeal for the redeployment of the Hon. Minister of State Defence just to please the sponsors of the circle
Yusuf Idris Gusau is the Zamfara state APC Publicity Secretary
