Amid a high level of insecurity in Zamfara, North Western Nigeria, a popular Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Abdulrahman Azzamfari has condemned what he called ‘dirty politics’ by the Zamfara State governor, Dauda Lawal, against the former Governor and current Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle.
Highlighting insecurity during past administrations in a public lecture, the Cleric wondered how insecurity involving bandits and terrorists have been operating even when Lawal’s predecessors were in office and yet did nothing to tackle it, stressing that those working for Governor Lawal to criticize Matawalle were distracting the laudable effort of government.
In a statement which was sent to CAPITAL POST in Abuja by a public affairs analyst, Malam Sani Ibrahim, quoted Sheikh Azzamfari to have told critics of Matawalle to laud his effort in influencing Service Chiefs and top military hierarchy to camp in the North Western Nigeria for a special operation that paid off.
He wrote: “In a powerful further sermon delivered by Sheikh Abdurrahman Azzamfari, the respected cleric continued to addressed the ongoing efforts to tarnish the reputation of the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle. Sheikh Azzamfari firmly criticized those behind the campaign, describing it as a politically motivated attempt to distract from the successes in combating insecurity in Zamfara and neighboring states.
“Sheikh Azzamfari began by reminding his audience of Matawalle’s unique role in the region.
“President Bola Tinubu is the one that appointed Matawalle as Minister of State. Before him, how many Ministers of Defence have we had from Zamfara this region? Was there no insecurity during Abdulaziz Yari?” he asked, pointing out that previous ministers failed to achieve the same level of impact. He emphasized that Matawalle’s efforts in bringing the Service Chiefs to camp in the region have had a tangible effect on the terrorists.
“Who amongst these Ministers promised to camp with Service Chiefs in this region and did it?” Sheikh Azzamfari questioned, lauding Matawalle’s commitment to staying on the ground and leading from the front.
“The cleric also pointed to the dramatic decrease in public threats from notorious bandits like Bello Turji as a sign of progress.
“Bello Turji used to release videos every other day, how long has it taken now since you saw his video?” he asked, underscoring the Minister’s role in striking fear into the hearts of criminals operating in the area.
In a scathing rebuke, Sheikh Azzamfari condemned Governor Dauda Lawal for his alleged attempts to discredit Matawalle, describing the governor’s actions as “dirty politics.”
He criticized Governor Dauda for using large sums of money to fund a smear campaign against Matawalle, rather than focusing on the welfare of his citizens.
“After all this, why should Gov Dauda pay such huge amounts of money to media to sponsor a campaign to tarnish the image of Matawalle and distract the people away from the good things the Minister is doing?” Sheikh Azzamfari asked.
The cleric further called on President Bola Tinubu to disregard the negative campaign against the Minister and to recognize his achievements in restoring peace to Zamfara and the region.
He suggested that Matawalle deserves elevation within the government to further his good work.
“Our feeling is that the President should disregard the ill campaign against Matawalle that Gov Dauda is sponsoring and if possible even elevate the position of Matawalle so that he can do his job better,” the cleric stated.
Sheikh Azzamfari’s lecture concluded with a call for fairness, urging the people of Zamfara to recognize and support the efforts of Matawalle and General Musa, while rejecting the political distractions meant to derail their progress. His message resonated strongly with those in attendance, casting a light on the complex interplay of politics and security in the region.
