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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
A socio-political group, the Zamfara Integrity Forum (ZIFO), has cautioned the immediate past governor of Zamfara State and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle over what it described as unguided political statements against the State government.
The group alleged that both the Minster Matawalle, and the All Progressives Congress, (APC) were fomenting needless political crisis through issuance of unguided and inflammatory statements in recent times against the State.
The coordinator of the group, Yunus Zubairu, who stated this in a statement on Friday in Kaduna, said Matawalle’s actions could make the State ungovernable and disturb the fragile peace the State is currently enjoying.
“The good people of Zamfara State reject in totality the antagonistic posture of the former governor who should instead be focused on his national assignment.
“Under Matawalle as governor for four years, the state witnessed the worst of insecurity since its creation on October 1, 1996.Insecurity became quite alarming in Zamfara State under the watch of Bello Matawalle.
“When Matawalle took over as governor in 2019, Zamfara state’s poverty rate was 73.98 per cent, making it one of the worst as against the national average of 40.1 per cent.
“Instead of improving on the situation, the people got poorer. The state had a higher percentage of poor people than Sokoto, Taraba, Jigawa, Ebonyi and Adamawa states, according to a report by the Statista.
“The multi-dimensional poverty index released in November 2022, stated that 78 per cent of Zamfara people are poor, meaning poverty worsened under Matawalle, from 74 to 78 per cent
“The needless campaign of calumny against Governor Lawal Dauda will amount to distraction from discharging his duty as the chief security officer of the State.
“We are interested in seeing economic growth, peace, and security in the state. Matawalle who is now occupying a very responsible and strategic position, should instead use his position to bring peace by combating crime, especially in the North-west and particularly Zamfara.
The group urged Matawalle to concentrate on his new job in Abuja and allow peace to reign so that the good people of Zamfara who did not vote him and his APC in a clear contest can witness development.
“It is said that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. The records of Matawalle’s performance do not show him as a performer.
“He is, therefore, the wrong person to criticise a government in Zamfara state, thinking that the governor will do miracle in a month where himself and his party, APC, failed to make positive impact in more than a decade.” The statement said.
