There was a time when
Gusau the capital of Zamfara state was a haven of sort. And all the fourteen
local governments of Zamfara state had Gusau to showcase as a peaceful part of
the core northern states. And journeys from the capital Gusau to any part of
the state had a fun filled moments with memorable scenery and a chance to see
beautiful landscape and topography of the tribes up north.
But no one expected that
such peace and tranquility could fast be eroded by the evil works and attack of
villains and bandits.
The same peaceful Zamfara state
suddenly was held at the neck by gruesome killings to the extent that the
erstwhile governor before the incumbent declared that he would resign because
he could not find a solution to tackling the evil attacks of the bandits.
The search of the natural
resources in the state by locals and foreigners did not help matters as the
race to riches found Zamfara state suddenly being home to strangers who lack
moral scruples as wealth became a do or die affair!
On July 2019, the cry
against the killings had reached its crescendo as the Senate Deputy Minority
Whip, Sahabi Yau’, raised alarm over the increasing insecurity and bloodbath in
Zamfara State. “The senator expressed concerns over what he described as the
senseless attacks in the state, by bandits, and the alarming rate of bloodbath.
While calling on the security operatives to step up their game with the view to
returning the state to its old peaceful days, Yau also lamented the wanton
destruction of economic activities in the state. He described the killings as
unacceptable, the federal lawmaker called on all stakeholders to do everything
within their reach to end the killings in Zamfara, and stressed that the search
for an enduring peace is a task for all patriots to accomplish.
A year earlier July 2018
the Daily Independent newsaapaper captured the headline: Another Bloodbath In
Zamfara As Gunmen Kill 31. The story had it that, “Zamfara State witnessed
another moment of blood spill on Thursday when gunmen killed over 31 people in
some communities in Maradun Local Government Area of the state. An eyewitness,
Bawa Abdullahi, told Daily Independent that the unnumbered
gunmen entered the villages and sacked the villagers, unleashing terror on
them. He said the gunmen operated unchallenged by any security organ despite the
subsistence of a curfew placed in the state. According to Abdullahi, the
villages that were attacked included Sakkada, Gyadadde, Sabon Gari, Barin Zare,
and Otawa villages. He said seven people were killed in Sakkada; four in
Gyadadde; eight in Barin Zare; four in Sabon Gari, and eight in Otawa.”
And in between that one
year before the incumbent Governor of the state Bello Matawalle assumed the
Executive Governor of the ststa, Zamfara state had become a dreaded zone with
the federal government forced to beam its radar on the state as it become
worrisome on who could tame the ill wind and menace that had befallen the
state.
And thank God Governor
Bello Matawalle came to the rescue just at the nick of time. No sooner than he
assumed duty, Governor Matawalle extended an olive branch to the bandits. He
made peace deals with them.
The governor did not leave
any stone unturned to ensure peace returns to the state. He went out of his way
to physically condone with victims of violence and families of those attacked
by bandits in some villages in the state.
He signed peace deal
between his administration and leaders of repentant bandits in the state and
openly declared that he would continue to honour the agreement reached with the
bandits, who chose the path of peace, but would confront those, who reneged
with the full force of the law.
He went as far as the
villages of Unguwar Rogo, Karda, Bidda and Kajera under Tsafe Local Government
Area as well as Kabaje of Kaura-Namoda LGA sympathizing with victims families.
It has not been unusual
for him as he once said recently that, “I have been working round the clock,
having sleepless nights, holding meetings with the security chieftains and
other stakeholders. We have assurances from the leaders of Fulani groups who
have embraced our peace overtures that they will reach out to the recalcitrant
groups responsible for the attacks and persuade them to accept our peace pact.
And we are committed to dialogue and reconciliation initiative, we will spare no
effort in enforcing the security of lives and property of our people.”
And true to his words,
Governor Matawalle has more or less brought down the crime rate in Zamfara
state as normalcy returned months ago. People can be seen going about their day
to day activities as more and more bandits get converted abandoning their
erstwhile evil ways of living. Security has been beefed up all around the state
as the governor continues to attract investment and development into the state.
The enabling peaceful environment that Zamfara
state is presently enjoying today courtesy of Governor Matawalle has ensured
that the state government has been able to make impact on curtailing the spread
of Covid-19 in the state.
But more importantly has
been the numerous milestones that Governor Matawalle has been able to achieve so far:
Using his versatile
experience as former Chairman House Committee on Security and Intelligence for
four good years to engage in round table discussions with key stakeholders,
different security outfits, from the National Police Headquarters, Abuja, the
IG of police, President Muhammad Buhari and the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the
Ex Minister of Defense, traditional leaders, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders
Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) leaders and CJTF and other key stakeholders.
With every consultation, a fact stands out that the crisis has taken ethnic
dimensions most especially after the creation of predominantly Hausa ‘Yan
Sa-Kai vigilante groups by the former governor.
Matawalle brought the
conditions of the rural areas and nomadic settlements who had hitherto been relegated
educationally and economically to the front burner. He has created schools,
clinics and earth dams for them. This is how the idea of Rural Grazing Areas
(RUGA) came up as one of the solutions.
He ensured ‘Yan Sa-Kai
local militia released Fulani captives which paved way for negotiation and led
to the release of many captives from the bandits.
The Governor secured the
release of twenty five Fulani abductees through the diplomatic approach. The
abductees who were held hostages since 9th April, 2019 in Dansadau Emirate of
Maru local Government area of the state were mostly women and children. And
many more freed persons who hailed from Mai-Awaki village of Dan Sadau, Maru
Local Government areas and others from Mutunji and Magama villages under
Dansadau Emirate Council of Maru local government area. Matawalle also went on
to secure release of ten foreign nationals.
Also victims of human
trafficking from Zamfara were handed over to the state government at the
Government House. The rescued victims were received by the Secretary to the
State Government, Alhaji Bala Bello Maru representing His Excellency Governor
Bello Matawalle.
Not forgetting the five
kidnapped victims were also rescued from Gidan Jaja axis and reunited with
their families, with another set of 14 victims of kidnapping regaining their
freedom from bandits including the District Head of Wuya Alhaji Umaru Usman
following efforts made by His Excellency Governor Bello Muhammad (Matawallen
Maradun) to secure their release. The freed captives all hail from villages in
Anka Local Government Area, ten of them from Yar Tasha, three from Wuya and one
from Ruwan Zabo.
These releases and several
others not captured here for time constraints cumulatively totaled about 800
rescued kidnapped victims. With relative peace attained in many volatile areas,
more than 25,000 displaced persons returned to their settlements. All these
coming with recovery of numerous weapons from bandits and various cache of ammunitions.
In the area of education, Governor
Bello Matawalle approved the promotion of 6709 primary school teachers who have
5 to 7 years unsettled backlogs of promotion and these have settled in
September 2019, awarded contracts for the construction of 613 primary school
classrooms across the state and the renovation of 342 others and equipping them
with 14810 desks and chairs, 962 desks for staff and modern ICT centers. The
sum of 4.5 billion has been earmarked for the project.
Alao the procurement of
2000 mattresses for GGUSS Kotorkoshi and fencing and renovation of the school.
The Governor reinstated 556 teachers employed and dumped by the previous
administration. The First Lady sponsored the scholarship of 41 orphans to complement
the Governor’s effort.
Governor Bello Matawalle
visited TETFund, and secured One Billion naira intervention for Abdu Gusau
Polytechnic, Talata Mafara and Enlistment of ZAMSU, sponsoring foreign
Scholarship for 200 students for undergraduate studies in Engineering, Medical
Courses etc in India, Cyprus, Sudan and so on. He kick-started UBE pilot scheme
for the construction of International Standard Primary School in Maradun.
In the area of health, Governor
Matawalle’s government made procurement of 17 Ambulances distributed to Gen
Hospitals in the state. Procurement of rural Tricycle Ambulances, renovation of
Kagara hospital, award of contract for the completion of Shinkafi Orthopedic
Hospital, procurement of ventilators, test kits, patient monitors and other
live-saving gadgets for Covid19 and zero contact booth testing equipment, construction
of Damba Infectious Disease Hospital, award of contracts for the construction
of 147 primary health centres in each wards and procurement of beds for all the
facilities, revived a contract for the completion of Shinkafi Orthopedic
Hospital at a new agreed cost of 2.7bn Naira. Governor Bello Matawalle
empowered the Zamfara State Drugs and Medical Consumables Management Agency
with necessary inputs to produce drugs.
And he didn’t stop there,
he has gone further, to invest in the state. Having created a viable
environment for investment by ensuring security and the general safety of
investors, employing open-door approach by Governor Bello Matawalle, many
countries and NGOs now acknowledge the regained peace, serenity in Zamfara
State and the efficient leadership and offer to contribute in developing
entrepreneurial skills for youth employment and investment in Zamfara.
Governor Bello Matawalle
has been showcasing Zamfara’s Investment potentials in the global horizon from
the US during the 2019 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA74) to
Russia-Africa Economic Summit and his tour to China from 23rd-24th December
2019.
During the series of the
UNGA74 in September 2019 side events, Governor Matawalle had a meeting with
business moguls and delivered a paper at African Investment Summit titled, “The
Investment Climate and the Market of Zamfara State: The Opportunities for
International Investment Partnership”, the paper which highlights Zamfara’s
investment potentials in mining, agriculture and industrialization.
And the keeps reminding everyone
that the best is still on the way.
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