By JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
A group, All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth Wing Mobilisation Vanguard on Wednesday, fired the current Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, over statement against Nigerian Defence team.
Chairman of the group in the state, Alhaji Ashiru Tukur in a response to an interview the governor granted a national television on Tuesday where he criticised the military authority and defence team, on escalating security situation in Zamfara, asked the governor to face governance because campaign was over.
His statement read in part; “As a group, we are once again pained to make this statement concerning security happenings in our dear Zamfara State and particularly the recent “uninspiring attitude” comment against the hierarchy of the Nigerian military and the defence team on national television by Governor Dauda Lawal.
“We would not have borther ourselves to respond to some of Mr. Governor’s claims during that live session with him on a national television, except the need to set the record straight especially on the priceless sacrifices the Nigerian military and other security agencies involved in tackling insecurity in Zamfara are making.
“Gov Dauda Lawal’s political rivalry with his predecessor and current Minister of State Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, has overshadowed his good governance approach in his past one year in office thereby making it difficult if not impossible to protect the vast majority of the people of Zamfara.
“His unpatriotic verbal attacks against the Minister of State Defence and those soldiers who are sacrificing their lives daily to restore peace and security in the state are not expected from a Chief Executive like him.
“That interview has shown Mr. Governor’s weakness, poor judgment, and an inappropriate statement from someone who is supposed to accept responsibility for his failure to secure the lives and property of Zamfara people as promised when he assumed office about a year ago.
“His spirit-damping comment against the military hierarchy of not being committed to ending banditry challenges despite having security briefings on his table has just further proven his critics right that he was never ready to govern the state, hence his inability to offer meaningful support to the ongoing military operations in the state and Northwest as a whole.
“He claimed that because he does not have control over the military and other security apparatuses in the state he set up a local security outfit, how has that solved the problem especially as members of his local security are targeting his political ‘enemies’ and not the bandits who have brought the state to its knees under his watch.
“This is a governor who has abandoned his primary duty of providing good governance to our people but prefers flying from one country to the other with state resources that have not translated to any meaningful growth and development in the state.
“The recent attacks on people in Maradun, Tsafe, Zurmi, and other villages in Zamfara have nothing to do with the minister of state defence because he is instrumental to the improved military presence and operations we see in the state and other neigbouring states respectively.
“Just recently, Gusau, Zamfara State capital was attacked multiple times and many people were kidnapped and some lost their lives including a son of Dauda’s bosom friend Alhaji Musa Mallaha. He could not even secure his local government which is just a stone’s throw from Govt House.
“So, failure by the state government to cooperate and synergise with conventional security personnel may have been responsible for escalating attacks because every sensible Zamfara indigene was happy and more secure under Matawalle’s administration than the present leadership of Governor Dauda Lawal.
“Why should Zamfara be different? As a former Governor of Jigawa State and current Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has not been blamed for insecurity by his successor. Bandits attacked and kidnapped many people in Kiyawa and some areas of Jigawa State, yet the governor didn’t apportion blame.
“Same as other governors who have not relented in collaborating with the federal government through Defence headquarters to address their security challenges, building bridges with their predecessors, so they can concentrate on meaningful developmental projects in their states.
“He should be reminded that era of political campaign is over, Zamfara people need to see his actions as promised while taking oath of office.
“We, therefore, urge Mr. Governor not to allow his open grudges and enmity against his predecessor in the person of Bello Matawalle becloud his focus and urgent need for synergy to secure our state and make it an investment hub in the region”.
