DEAR ZAMFARA GOVERNOR, COME BACK HOME, YOUR PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING IN THE HANDS OF BANDITS

OPINION ARTICLE

It is high time i make this urgent call for the Governor of Zamfara to return home and face the issue of governance with all sense of seriousness.

The people of Zamfara are suffering in the hands of the heartless armed bandits, and it seems nobody cares for them because there are no visible measures put on the ground to show that the government of Zamfara is serious about ending these social problems.

I want to remind the Governor that he has centered his campaign promises around the issue of fighting banditry and ensuring that peace has been restored in Zamfara state and the people of Zamfara that voted for him believed in his campaign promises and decided to cast their votes for him.

I think in the spirit of the social contract entered into between the Governor and the people of Zamfara he needs to show a high sense of seriousness in ending the spates of killings and abductions in Zamfara. 

Visibly looking at the scenario on Saturday, students of Federal University Gusau took to the streets to demonstrate what they called negligence for the government to address the rampant cases of kidnapping that ravaged them.

On Friday people of Waramu in Anka local government suffered mercilessly in the hand of bandits hence about five of their relations were kidnapped to the forest in a deadly attack launched against the community.

Shinkafi has become a danger zone, as no single day will pass without bandits coming into the town to kill or abduct innocent individuals.

A source confirmed that there are over one hundred and fifty people from Shinkafi local government that were abducted and remain in the hand of their captors.

The road linking Shinkafi with Kaura Namoda has become a deadly one as people choose to remain indoors in Shinkafi for the fear of the armed bandit abduction along the road.

Another report from Zurmi had it that some medical officers from Rukudawa and Boko were brutally murdered by suspected armed bandits.

This is apart from the serial number of attacks they have been launching along many other local communities in Zurmi.

Every well-meaning citizen of Zamfara may not forget the tragedy in Gora Namaye and Janbako as well as Bakura where over twenty persons were killed and scores abducted.

Evidently, there are over twenty women from Gora Namaye that are in the hand of the bandits and no effort is being made to secure their freedom.

The incident in Tsafe is another big blow that exposed the time bomb Zamfara people are facing. The Governor and his Deputy had to pay condolence visits to show their concern. 

People from Dansadau axis of Zamfara state are still counting their ordeal as movement along Gusau-Magami road has become a mere psychological suicide.

Currently, the majority of the local farmers in Maradun, Bakura, Tsafe, Shinkafi and Zurmi may not participate in this year’s farming season due to the fear of abduction and kidnapping by the bandits.

The locals have been crying that bandits have been sending messages of warning asking local farmers to stay away of their farms or risk being killed or abducted.

This is different from the levy of millions of naira enforced on them by the bandits, which they have paid time and time again without having peace of mind.

The civil servants are dearly paying for their support to the emergence of the government of Dauda Lawal hence up to this moment they were unable to be paid their May 2023 salary with the unanticipated fear that the workers may be trimmed down in the ongoing verification.

Zamfara state is in the state of confusion as things are merely falling apart and the most disturbing part of it is that the Governor has been out of the state for many days while the praising demands for him to take decisions that would bring succor to the lives of Zamfara people of Zamfara is increasing.

Most unfortunate and regrettable, the government is given much emphasis on fighting the former Governor and trying to trade blames on the immediate past government instead of facing governance issues squarely.

The latest decision of the Federal High Court Gusau which was vehemently against the government decision to invade the private residences of Governor Matawalle in Maradun and Gusau is a clear testimony that the government of Dauda Lawal may likely miss a clear sense of direction.

Zamfara people are interested in seeing action rather than stories, and one of the fundamental basis for government to succeed is when governance is established in such a way that people will believe that the government is concern about the plights of its people.

The Abuja engagements by Dauda Lawal is not needed for now, hence there is fire at home and the firefighters now the Governor need to set it up before it consumes all of us.

I will implore President Tinubu to call the Governor and ask him to return home so that we can have him stay and set governance running.

We care more about saving Zamfara before talking about infrastructural engagements in Abuja.

The Governor is not the cause of the social problem in Zamfara neither his aides, but he has a corporate social responsibility to safeguard his citizens using any means because that is the covenant and social contract he has entered into with the people of Zamfara state.

This is my position.