Politics
INSECURITY: SHAME ON GOVERNOR DAUDA POLITICIZING BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT CITIZENS ON HIS NECK
INSECURITY: SHAME ON GOVERNOR DAUDA POLITICIZING BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT CITIZENS ON HIS NECK
Sahara Weekly Reports That The Zamfara State chapter of the APC just came across a sham supposedly written by Haliru Andi, PDP’s spokesperson in the state. 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 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 northwest region and fully tackle the bandits to eliminate 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 the 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 since time was running out and to avoid the governor’s earlier non-cooperative stance against the federal government when he once made a 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 neighboring 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 were not happy that of all people, Matawalle’s coordination was 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 a military barrack in Isa local government with all required facilities and amenities, three Forward Operation Bases 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 to win the war against banditry in his state,e, which he appreciated the federal government efforts as 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 to restore peace and security across the northwest states
Lots of measures have been put in place, such as the deployment of more troops to the area, which now makes bandits flee while some are being neutralized.
However, the Minister has announced officially that the federal government will establish three military formations in Sokoto that will combat banditry.
Let PDP and Dauda Lawal understand that the entire operation is for the Northwest, not Zamfara alone, and the federal government has the right to station its troops or operation from anywhere 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 campaign promises and 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 at dinners, lunch, and parties, not serious government business.
His envy of Matawalle will never succeed, and time will tell.
Yusuf Idris Gusau
APC Publicity Secretary
Zamfara State
12th October, 2024
Breaking: Speaker Obasa Debunks Allegation Of Spending N17b On Assembly Gate
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, on Thursday described the allegation that the House spent N17 billion on the fixing of a gate as spurious and funny.
A self-proclaimed group, Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition, had accused the Assembly of spending the amount to construct a gate. The group also sought investigation of the claim.
Speaking at plenary, Dr. Obasa said the allegation stemmed from the fear of some people over 2027 which is still more than two years away.
Obasa further debunked the claim that the House spent N200 million on its recently organised 22nd thanksgiving service for staff.
“It is so funny. How much is the allocation of the Assembly in the whole year that we will decide to spend N17 billion on a gate? They even claimed that we expended 200 million on thanksgiving that did not hold.
“We are aware that at a period like this when we are approaching elections in 2027, we should expect such things. I think some people are scared and I don’t know why.
“This House did not and has not embarked on any such project. We are not that reckless. We had our thanksgiving last Friday and dignitaries from various parts of the State attended it,” the Speaker said.
Addressing further claims by the group about the alleged relationship between him and the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, the Speaker denied attending the latter’s screening and confirmation by the National Assembly.
“They said that I was at the National Assembly when they were confirming the EFCC chairman. I want to believe that there are CCTV cameras at the National Assembly to identify those who attended the event. The press must have written about it too. So the group should do more to confirm if I was there.
“This is just to deny the allegations in the interest of the public and not the writers because the writers are not those we should be joining words with,” the Speaker said.
Earlier, the House, through its spokesperson, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, had addressed the allegations noting that the Assembly bases its activities on integrity, transparency and accountability.
“It is ludicrous the claim about constituency intervention funds and constituency project funds and their handling by Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko as claimed by the group.
“One would have expected a self-acclaimed anti-corruption crusading group to do its groundwork before jumping across the fence with conviction that it hit a jackpot to malign an institution of repute in the name of politics.
“Simply put, the Lagos State House of Assembly does not have any such funds. The Assembly does not embark on constituency projects. Instead, once every year, the House holds stakeholders’ meetings simultaneously across the state where constituents have the opportunity to tell the lawmakers their expectations and make requests for the betterment of the state.
“These requests and expectations are compiled and sent to the executive arm of government for consideration as inputs in subsequent budgets. If this is what the group takes as constituency intervention or project funds, we are sure this explanation has given the required education, moreover, it is common knowledge that it is the responsibility of the Executive arm to execute such projects,” the earlier statement by Ogundipe read.
Eromosele Ebhomele
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
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