The All Progressives Congress APC has accused the Governor of Zamfara Dauda Lawal of trying to sabotage the ongoing fight against armed banditry using the strategy of media campaign against the operation.
The APC through its Publicity Secretary Mal. Yusuf Idris stated that the Governor resorted to using media propaganda because he realized that the ongoing operation may likely scuttle his campaign plan for 2027 which he intended to use as he did in 2023.
Idris in the statement insisted that Governor Dauda Lawal has never supported the ongoing military operation through logistics instead he has been confrontational about the federal government effort to end the tragedy.
Idris added that the military had warmed the Governor to stay away from their activities in their quest to end the carnage of banditry.
The statement added that Governor Dauda is hiding under the ongoing military operation to takes credit and continue to fight Minister Bello Matawalle at all cost.
Idris in the statement called on the Federal government to declare state of emergency in Zamfara so as not to allow the mischievous plan of the PDP government to succeed.
According to the statement declaring state of emergency in Zamfara will allow the military unhindered access to the state and continue their fight against banditry without any hitch.
Idris lamented that since his assumption of office, Governor Dauda Lawal has been attacking the personality of Minister of State Defense Bello Matawalle and also eye for the destruction of his personal properties.
He declared that for several occasions Minister Bello Matawalle has offered himself to the government of the state for joint effort to fight banditry, but regrettably he was disappointed through campaign of calumny by the Governor and his co-travelers.
Idris added that since the President directed the Minister to lead the defense operation, Matawalle with confidence acted to ensure that the Presidential directive is achieved.
He accused the Governor of embezzling state funds expending huge sum for payment of airtime to make propaganda against the Minister
“We are not surprised because a governor who can grant approval of over 1.3 billion naira as alleged, to sponsor terrorism, denied the act but immediately redeployed all directors of the state Ministry of Finance whom he believed were the ones who leaked the memo and still denied despite the redeployment letter in circulation, cannot be given public trust” the statement added.
“The same Dauda who budgeted over N19 billion for his wife’s kitchen, kept recalling allegations against his predecessor, Matawalle when he cannot give account of the billions released to the state by the federal government in cash and grains as palliative which were distributed by governors of other states to their citizens but have remained a mirage in Zamfara”.
“While the governor keeps linking Matawalle to bandits, the Turji bandits kingpin about two months ago, openly said he was aware that some bandits were being harboured in the Government House, Gusau to which we raised the alarm but up to date, the government never came out to deny that, thus, if anyone is to be investigated over bandits, governor Dauda should be first on the list”.
“The efforts of Matawalle in the fight against banditry when he was governor in Zamfara is far ahead that of Dauda Lawal because Matawalle had distributed 200 brand new Hilux vehicles to the security agencies in the state on the 8th July, 2020”.
“The well-equipped 200 vehicles were distributed among the Police, Nigerian Army, Air force, NSCDC, Immigration service, FRSC, DSS, EFCC, Prisons service, Zamfara Road Transport Agency (ZAROTA) and HISBA commission. At the instance of the former”.
“Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, who was represented by GOC 3 Division, Major General Nuhu Angbazo and the then State Commissioner of Police, CP Usman Nagogo where the vehicles were judiciously utilized and the desired result is achieved”.
“On the issue of the reconciliation and disarmament, the Matawalle administration executed it through the positive workable advises given by all the security agencies of Military, Police, DSS, Civil Defence and others as against Dauda’s comments that it failed”.
“Likewise, all the Emirs, Islamic scholars and all major critical stakeholders in the state who contributed immensely in all the meetings and strategies on how to end banditry were highly accommodated for better results that were achieved at the end”.
