Who is afraid of Matawalle?

By Pascha Udo

Zamfara state is in the news again. Accusations are flying around, and fingers are pointing in different directions with regard to the immediate and remote causes of banditry that almost crippled the state. Undoubtedly, the state government is pointing accusing fingers at the immediate past governor of the state and current minister of state for Defence, Bello Matawalle. This is expected because politics is a game for only those with balls. However, there is a lot at play in the state that the general public is unaware of.

To start with, I have my suspicions. My suspicion arose from the ferocity of the attacks on the personality of the former governor and to think that a notorious bandit leader had joined the fray, echoing the position of the Zamfara state government. This is indeed comical. Wonders shall never end in Nigeria. There is a challenge in the Zamfara state imbroglio, and it started almost immediately after the new governor was sworn into office.

The former governor was accused of stealing television sets, refrigerators, gas cookers and government vehicles. As funny as the accusations were, it was in poor taste. This is the first time a former governor is accused of stealing sundry items after leaving office. That was the red flag for me, and to date, the allegations have seized to abate. Undoubtedly, the PDP-led administration in Zamfara state has scores to settle with the former governor. In some quarters, it was stated that politics was at play. I agree with this position because of the events that have followed suit afterwards.

For the records, the rise of banditry in Zamfara state was between 2014 and 2019 under the leadership of  Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari as governor. It is instructive to state that Hon Bello Matawalle became governor of Zamfara state by sheer luck, and his administration inherited a state overrun by banditry. Under the administration of Bello Matawalle, there were concerted efforts to address the menace. The facts are in the public domain.

It is embarrassing that a known bandit leader seems to be speaking the same language as the state government in attacking the personality of a former governor of the state. This happenstance leaves a sour taste in the mouth and indicates that governance in Zamfara state is at its lowest ebb.  The smear campaign against the former governor has assumed a dangerous dimension. Undoubtedly, the state government has scores to settle with him. However, the way and manner the state government has gone about it is crass and, at best, a feeble attempt at character assassination.  

The fact remains that the former governor is the minister of state for defence and some vested interests are uncomfortable with his position and access to sensitive information about the happenings in the state. This could also be responsible for the ferocious smear campaign against him.

There are many unanswered questions regarding the rise of rural banditry in Zamfara state between 2014 and 2019. who was the governor of the state during this period? Was it Bello Matawalle? If it wasn’t Bello Matawalle, what would the sense be in linking him with it? What is the Zamfara state government up to in the face of the glaring fact?  Your guess is as good as mine. The truth remains that the state government is playing to the gallery at the expense of focusing energy and resources on addressing the crisis in the state. The chief propagandist is Dauda Lawal, the governor of the state, who was captured in merriment in Enugu state with fellow PDP governors. At the same time, scores were killed in Zamfara state. Yet, this is the same governor busy sponsoring smear campaigns against his predecessor in office.

I advocate for the idiomatic expression of those who live in glass houses who must not throw stones. This is because it is known that while Bello Matawalle was governor of the state, Dauda Lawal severally tried to extort the state. One instance was when he got a contract for the supply of fertilizers and made a mess of the whole thing even after collecting monies from the state government. Another is the facilitation of a loan from Fidelity Bank on behalf of the state government at the time with a hidden proviso for the bank to include charges that were later remitted to him. But the Bello Matawalle stood his ground and insisted on doing the right thing. This might be the story of the strained relationship between the governor and the former governor.

The revelations show that the governor of Zamfara state, Dauda Lawal, is lost on governance of the state. He is busy chasing shadows at the detriment of providing purposeful leadership in the state. It is advised that Governor Dauda Lawal retraces his steps and delivers on his campaign promise to address insecurity in Zamfara state. The situation is worsening, and he must show leadership instead of chasing shadows. Who is afraid of Matawalle?

Udo wrote this piece from Abuja.