SECURITY AND THE IGNORANCE OF A CLUELESS GOVERNOR AT LARGE

Zamfara State, its people and all passers who move through the state to other parts of the country have always been living or passing with fears in their veins that visibly also show on their faces due to the insecurity that has bedeviled the state in the last 10 years and still counting.

While the immediate past administration of governor Bello Matawalle, now Honourable Minister of State Defence had borrowed a leaf from his predecessor and now Senator Abdul Aziz Yari Abubakar in addition to his initiatives to tackle the menace bearing in mind that government is a continuous process, the incumbent governor and former banker, Mr. Dauda Lawal Dare, who deceptively believes he is all knowing, sees governance as a system through which he can intimidate, harass, embarrass, and feel on top of everybody .

Unfortunately, this air of arrogance has endeared the governor's continued refusal to realize that the issue of security throughout the country is in the hands of the federal government whereby state governments could play complementary role so that the synergy will lead to the achievement of the set objective which in this case will be the decimation or total elimination of banditry, kidnappings, rustling and other criminality in Zamfara.

Even when Mr. Dauda decided to do it alone, he has completely and unremorsefully failed the people he vowed to project. This he has perpetually demonstrated in his many responses to bandits' attacks by not visiting to sympathize with victims or deceased family members or communities for fear that they could ruffle his well ironed clothes or so that he will not have to decend to their level which is why he only at most, sends his deputy who goes with very limited powers, stopping at "we feel sad, the state government will see what it can do."

In the past, these killings stopped at villages located at hard to reach areas of the state, but now, the bandits joined by other criminals are almost everywhere including the state capital, Gusau killing any and every unfortunate innocent persons including security operatives and vigilantes because of the governor's inebtitudes and recklessness.

Instead of the governor to use the opportunity provided by the federal government under President Tinubu to have a son of Zamfara soil and former governor as Minister of Defence by joining hands with the federal government to fight the criminals giving his people sleepless nights, the governor who seems against fighting the bandits is using politics to stop all workable actions against the criminals for reasons best known to him.

In June bandits killed 45 residents of  Maradun local government of Janbako and Sakida

In July, another 27 people were killed at kango

On 7 August kwata community were attacked and scores were abducted and others were killed likewise many local government headquarters were attacked and people were killed including security personnel in  Bungudu, Anka Maru, Tsafe and even the state capital and nothing is done by the 'I too know' governor 

And the recent kidnapping of FUG female students and the Sunday attack of Magami village by the bandits while the governor is enjoying himself abroad and only directing his media team to be issuing unguided press releases attacking the efforts of responsible federal government and hiding his government's failure which is the highest level of insensitivity on security issues.

The governor should know it's no longer of campaign season or time for blame game. People of the state are in serious pains of bandits attacks.

He claims he's in control in the fight against the terror groups that are now everywhere in the state, yet the menace has been on the increase while Mr. Dauda is currently enjoying life in the US from whence only God knows where next and even when he is within the shores of Nigeria, he usually stays in Abuja with friends giving orders to the deputy who cannot even have access him unless the governor wishes to see him.

As rightful citizens of the state, we are really tired of the governor's inactions, political brouhaha, and vendetta and want to see positive changes in safe and secured society.

We are in support of any federal government efforts that will end the menace of bandits' activities in our dear state because we are against the daily killings, kidnappings and rustling of our livestock with the state government only issuing statements while the blood of the innocent souls is flowing.

Yusuf Idris Gusau 

APC Publicity Secretary 

Zamfara State 

26th  September, 2023