By John Ekah, Gusau
It was a day of hot exchange of words as loyalists of Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State and his bitter political rival and predecessor, Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, feuded,on behalf of their principals, over who takes responsibility for the spiralling bloodshed in the North-West state.
While the governor’s camp is firmly convinced that Matawalle’s strategic position in the Federal Government (FG) should be the no-brainer game changer against insecurity in the state, the Minister’s camp see things differently: they said Gov. Lawal is the state’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) and should duly live up to public expectation.
Keen followers of developments in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-controlled state said the current catch-22 situation between the Governor and Minister has played into the hands of rampaging terrorists in the State who have seized advantage and unleashed devastating attacks, routinely pillaging, plundering, killing, kidnapping, maiming scores of persons and destroying properties worth several millions of Naira over time.
Firing the first salvo, a retired military combatant and security expert in the state, Bello Soja Bakyasuwa advised Matawalle to resign honourably following what he described as his failure to address deteriorating security challenges in his home state in particular and North-West region in general.
Interestingly, Bakyasuwa, who is a former Commandant, Zamfara State Anti-Thuggery Agency, is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), same party as Matawalle.
An indigene of Maradun Local Government Area (LGA), where the Minister comes from, Bakyasuwa also served as Director, Security Matters in the State Government.
Speaking with newsmen on Wednesday, May 7, Bakyasuwa described Matawalle’s Ministerial position as “a waste to the people of Zamfara state in particular and North-West region in general.”
He said: “As an indigene of Zamfara State, I will not keep quiet while our communities are being attacked by bandits, while several people are being killed and kidnapped on daily basis.
“I said it several times that Matawalle is unfit for a Defence Minister and must resign his position because he has no value to the people of Zamfara State and Nigeria.
“It is very unfortunate to note that, as Minister for State (Defence), various incidents of insecurity are happening in his hometown and his home state as well as neighboring states of Sokoto, Katsina and Kebbi.”
Bakyasuwa lamented the recent killing of the Chief Imam of Maru Jumaat mosque by bandits.
To him, such top cleric was supposed to have been rescued on the orders of the Minister.
His words: “We condemn the recent killing of Chief Imam of Maru town in Maru Local Government Area by bandits with his two children after spending two months in captivity.
“This is very sad for a whole Chief Imam of a town like Maru, one of the emirates in the state, to be killed by bandits and nothing was done.
“Since the Chief Imam and his children were killed, we didn’t hear any response from Matawalle, Defence Ministry or the Federal Government.
“Today in Zamfara, nobody is safe. The security situation is worsening on daily basis especially in rural communities.
“The Federal Government and security agencies have failed to address security challenges in Zamfara.
“Infact, even Maradun LGA, a hometown of Bello Matawalle, is no more secure.
“Many communities under Maradun LGA are no more secure and are under the control of bandits.
“I am confidently saying that Matawalle has been occupying a position that he cannot deliver.
“He has no capacity to utilize his office to provide solutions to the lingering security challenges facing the state.
“I am therefore calling on President Bola Ahmad Tinubu to look into the possibility of replacing Bello Matawalle with a competent person who can deliver on the office of the Minister of State for Defence.”
Reacting to Bakyasuwa’s allegations, the Special Adviser to the Minister, Alhaji Ibrahim Danmaliki described the claims as baseless, unfounded and politically motivated.
Danmaliki said Bakyasuwa should have directed his allegations to Zamfara State government under Gov. Lawal who, he stressed, is the state’s CSO.
According to Danmaliki, the security issue is the joint responsibility of both State and Federal Governments and wondered why Bakyasuwa should finger only the Minister “if he was really not playing politics with security.”
The aide was particularly surprised at Bakyasuwa blaming Matawalle for alleged inaction in the Chief Imam matter, reversing the blame and said “the state government should have been blamed, not Matawalle.”
His words: “Bakyasuwa should blame Governor Dauda Lawal because he (Lawal) could have saved the late Imam if he acted fast as Matawalle used to do when he was the Governor of Zamfara State.
“Dauda Lawal should be blamed for the death of the Chief Imam of Maru Jumaat mosque because as the Governor of the state, he did not do anything to save him.
“The Chief Imam was in captivity for over two months because of N9 million and the state government refused to do anything.
“If you could recall, during Matawalle’s administration as the Governor of the state, he was able to secure the release of hundreds of people abducted by bandits.
“The students of Government Secondary School Kankara, GGSS Jangebe, Government Day Secondary School Kaya and many others were rescued by Matawalle during his tenure.
“Why should Governor Lawal leave the innocent people to be dying in bandits’ camps while he has the capacity to help them and some people like Bakyasuwa are shifting the blame on the Honorable Minister?
“I am calling on politicians in Zamfara State and the country in general to fear God and stop assassinating people’s characters just for worldly bliss.
“Honorable Bello Matawalle awalle is doing his best in the fight against banditry, more especially in Zamfara State where he hails from, but some people are sabotaging his efforts because they don’t want him to succeed.
“I want to remind those people to know that Matawalle is the only Defence Minister and can never succeed in the fight against banditry if the stakeholders like the Governors do not give him him their maximum support and cooperation.
“As I am talking to you now, the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, has vehemently refused to cooperate with the Honorable Minister simply because of their political differences.
“This can never work. As such, I want people to know that the security challenges facing Zamfara State will never be solved if Bello Matawalle and Dauda Lawal continue to remain in bad relationship.”
