RE: BELLO TURJI VIDEO CLIP: MATAWALLE'S HANDS ARE CLEAN, RECONCILIATION GENUINE AND PERFECT.

The attention of the immediate past government of former Zamfara Gov Bello Mohammed Matawallen Maradun, now Minister of state for Defence has been drawn to a viral video of a bandits kingpin, Bello Turji, concocted and poorly edited by some unscrupulous elements whose interest has always been to tarnish the hard earned image and reputation of the minister.

In the video, Bello Turji's audio was unprofessionally synchronised with his video to accuse the former governor of injustice in the conduct of the reconciliation by the then Zamfara state government. However, the video/audio editor unprofessionally disqualified his work so much that one can vividly notice the failure of the audio and video clips to simultaneously synchronise. This has been the antics of Zamfara and Nigeria's enemies of progress against Bello Matawallen Maradun, who was carefully chosen and nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to serve in his cabinet, and was vetted and confirmed by the nation's security agencies, and the Senate for position of Minister of State Defence.

The minister, despite his efforts and performance, was subjected to a series of attacks both within and outside Zamfara state by people who want to set him against the president. 

For the record, Bello Matawalle had ruled Zamfara state as Gov with all sense of humility, honesty, and justice. Although Bello Turji's viral video was unprofessionally concocted and poorly edited, we are obliged to use this avenue to exonerate the immediate past government and its leader, Bello Matawalle from the said allegations in the following manner/ areas:

1. Before the Matawalle government embarked upon the reconciliation project, it had to consult and called a meeting of all stakeholders, including the traditional rulers, the Fulani leaders, the leadership of bandits kingpins,  state legislators and security agencies. It was during the meeting that the agreement was reached for the government to engage the bandits' leadership into reconciliation, with a view to having lasting peace across the state. This, Matawalle and his government believed, would help farmers cultivate their farms to produce enough food and cash crops, as well creat environment for business, both within and from outside of the state. 

It was upon the pretext of this arrangement and agreement that the immediate past government took the decision and action of reconciliation. This reconciliation by the then Gov Bello Mohammed Matawallen has worked well to the testimony of international community, as Zamfara state spent complete 9 months or so without a single incident of attack, kidnapping, killing, maiming, and or raping, what so ever. Zamfara was so peaceful, so much that Fulani embarked upon their annual traditional festival, popularly known as SHARU OR SHADI.

It was as a result of the restoration of peaceful and harmonious coexistence among the waring communities that farmers went back to their farms, businesses men, and women embarked upon their various businesses. The restoration of normalcy in the state restored the confidence of visitors to the state for commercial activities, boosting the state economy. 

Turji himself is a witness to these facts as he stopped attacking people. However, the activities of the antics of this world acknowledged laudable achievement and conflicts entrepreneurs who hated the restored normalcy, worked along with some unscrupulous politicians and other elements to sabotage the success.

Matawalle was also bold enough to give the bandits an ultimatum of 3 months within which to surrender their weapons to the government or face full wrath of the law. Upon the completion of the ultimatum given to the recalcitrant bandits, the Matawalle government came up in full force to fight the bandits at their doorsteps. The then government embarked upon its own model of STATE OF EMERGENCY, when the state was shutdown for 3 months, as a result of which sanity was restored due to the stringent measures put in place against the bandits. Many bandits had to come seeking reconciliation themselves. It took religious and traditional rulers time to convince the government to accept those who came to seek for the reconciliation, but with conditions; swearing in with the Holy Qur’an and surrendering their weapons to the government for onward handing over to appropriare security agencies. The handing over of the weapons was done publicly. It is still fresh in the minds of all the peace loving Nigerians that one of the bandits ( Awwalu Daudawa) swore to the Holy Qur’an and handed over his weapons, but later retracted his oath, but died instantly as he was killed by his fellow bandits.

There was nothing Matawalle hasn't done to get Zamfara free of the mayhem of the bandits, despite serious opposition and sabotage against his efforts. Matawalle's hands are therefore clean, and hus reconciliation was genuinely conducted with a deep sense of honesty and justice, and he left Zamfara state better than he mated it.

As the video clip confessed that " presently there are some bandits in the Zamfara government house," our question here is,  who is hosting them, since Matawalle is no longer the Gov of Zamfara State. Except if Bello Turji is accusing the former IG MD Abubakar who is now the chairman of the state Security Trust Fund and chairman of PDP transition and handing over committee, of inviting the bandits to the Government House, as he used to do during the Matawalle administration when he served as the chairman of an investigation panel that recommended the sacking of the late Emir of Zurmi and that of Dansadau. 

On the issue of  Kabiru and Bashar, the video clip alleged that they did not hand over their weapons to the government of Bello Matawalle, they reconciled with the military and handed over their weapons directly to the military.  Sokoto Brigade Command can bear witness and testify to this fact. 

Matawalle had been subjected to a series of attacks and media trial for offences he had never committed simply because some political gladiators out there want to set him up against the president. The minister therefore strongly holds onto the Almighty Allah and will never be distracted by his antics of the efforts of carrying out his responsibility and fulfilling his promises to assist the President to achieve the renewed hope agenda. These can be verified by cross checking his records of achievements, performance, and excellence within the last one year he was appointed as minister of state for defence. 

I therefore strongly advise the present government of Dauda Lawal Dare to, instead of spending huge amount of money in the efforts to tarnish Matawalle's hard earned reputation, re- direct such humongous sum of money to saving the lives and property of the people of Zamfara State. The number one responsibility of government anywhere is the protection of lives and property of its people. It is sad to note that, despite the huge amount Dauda Lawal receives from Federation Account momthly, and his campaign promises, Gov Dauda failed to sustain what Matawalle left in terms of security. It is unfortunate that the whole of Zamfara is under siege by bandits and no local government headquarters has not been attacked. 

Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria 

Long Live President Bola Ahmed Tinubu 

Long Live Zamfara state.