Opinion
My support for Matawalle’s peace initiative and amnesty
The ongoing negotiation to secure the release of 27 students, 15 teachers (including relatives) of Government Science Secondary School Kagara in Rafin Local Government Area of Niger State who were abducted by bandits has again given rise to the question of how best should Nigeria confront the raging banditry particularly in northwest and its adjoining Niger State; should the country dialogue and offer amnesty to repentant bandits or engage the bandits in military combat?
On Wednesday, February 17, 2021, gunmen suspected to be bandits stormed Government Science School Kagara killing a student and abducting 42 others.
While President Muhammadu Buhari on the one hand has ordered the Nigerian military and police to secure the safe release of all abductees, on the other hand, Kaduna based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has led top government officials in Niger State to engage the bandits with a view of securing the safe release of all those abducted.
Clearly, the Niger State Government has deployed both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to secure the release of all the abductees. Undoubtedly, both approaches will produce results but to what extent would the result of the different approach translate to enduring peace? And what are the collateral consequences associated with each approach?
Kinetic or combat approaches may secure the release of the students and their teachers but the likelihood of losing some of the victims and security operatives in the process is high when compared to its alternative, dialogue approach.
One state where both approaches have been tested with empirical proof of results is Zamfara. And my experience of the outcomes of both approaches in Zamfara informed my preference for dialogue.
This article highlights the Zamfara situation and gives reasons why other states in the region and federal government should adopt dialogue.
No doubt, Zamfara is the epicentre of banditry in the country. Injustice and poor crisis management by the previous administration in the state allowed petty crimes to morph into banditry. And the consequences of crisis on the state are better imagined than experienced.
On a daily basis, Zamfarans in their numbers were being kidnapped, others killed, some others displaced from their homes and their properties destroyed while women and girls suffer rape. In addition to the aforementioned, farms, quarries, and grazing areas were deserted for fear of attack and rustling. This culminated into poverty and hunger, and rising numbers of widows and orphans in the state.
Before the introduction of dialogue by Dr. Bello Muhammad Mattawalle, the present governor of Zamfara State, a report of the presidential committee headed by a former Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Abubakar, constituted by the federal government to find a lasting solution to the crisis in Zamfara provides an impact statistics of the crisis in the state before Mattawalle took over as governor.
According to the report, between June 2011 to May 2019, there were 6,319 deaths and 190,340 displacements in Zamfara. In addition to the death and displacement figures, an estimated 4,983 women were widowed and 25,050 children were orphaned. Within the same period under review, the report also reveals that 10,000 cattle, 147,800 vehicles and motorbikes were stolen and 2,688 farmland and 10,000 houses were destroyed.
These impact statistics were in spite of military combat efforts to end the crisis. We are all aware that right from the onset of the crisis in 2011, the Nigerian military and the police have been contending the bandits. And President Muhammadu Buhari upon assumption of office gave their operations a boost by personally inaugurating Operation Harbin Kunama in 2016. However, because of the continued attacks, Operation Harbin Kunama was later complemented by Operation Puff Adder of the Nigerian police. Yet, the desired result of restoring normalcy to Zamfara was never attained.
However, upon assumption of office as Governor of Zamfara State, Dr Bello Muhammad Matawalle chose to try dialogue in order to restore peace to Zamfara. The dialogue is an admixture of dagger and carrot approaches and it’s hinged on a tripod of unconditional pardon for repentant bandits, provision of justice and infrastructural development.
No doubt, the dialogue approach is yielding unprecedented results as it is no longer news that different counts of notorious bandits are voluntarily repenting and surrendering their arms and ammunition to the government and security agencies in Zamfara State.
Just last week, to be precise, on Monday, February 8, 2021, Daily Trust reported that, a notorious bandits, Daudawa alongside six others voluntarily surrendered sophisticated arms and ammunition to the government of Zamfara State.
I can go on and on to cite verifiable instances of willing repentance and voluntary surrender of sophisticated weapons by repentant bandits to the government and security agencies in Zamfara. And should any Nigerian be in doubt of the reported cases, I encourage him or her to verify the claims with the Nigeria police, military and or other security agencies.
The successes recorded in the area of security of lives and property in Zamfara State is no accident. They are a product of the peace initiative of Dr Bello Muhammad Matawalle.
A 2019 independent study by West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), which documented fatalities associated with banditry within the months of January to December of 2019 in the Northwest shows that the months of August to November recorded a downward trend in fatalities and violence due to the peace and reconciliation initiative of Dr. Matawalle. I wished the study was extended to cover the whole of 2020 so that the good people of Zamfara and Nigerians would better appreciate the gains of Dr Mattawalle’s peace initiative.
I support dialogue with repentant bandits and I stand with the decision we took as Zamfara National Assembly Caucus to call for amnesty for repentant bandits. I wish to unequivocally state that my support for the dialogue approach championed by my dear governor, Dr. Mattawale transcends our shared party affiliation. My support is based on verifiable results of his open and sincere peace programme.
Aside from the continuous repentance and voluntary surrender of sophisticated arms and ammunition, the dialogue move saved Nigeria from a repeat of the Chibok schoolgirls abduction experience in Kankara last December. Over 300 schoolboys were rescued after being abducted from their hostels in Government Science School Kankara without payment of ransom or casualty- this is the power of dialogue.
The initiative has also commenced the establishment of a Rural Grazing Areas otherwise known as RUGA in each of the three senatorial districts of the State. The proposed RUGA are ranching clusters with modern settlement infrastructures that support human habitation and cattle rearing. On the one hand, the infrastructure will provide basic and social amenities such as electricity, water, shelter, schools, hospitals, police posts and places of worship for the herders. On the other hand, it will provide rich feed, paddocks, water, veterinary clinics, slaughter houses and feed mills for the rearing of cattle.
It is a holistic approach to ending the lingering herders-farmers clashes and transforming cattle rearing in the country, through land resource maximisation, discouragement of nomadic pastoralism and live cattle trucking practices and promotion of ranching and beef trucking.
Beyond the peace initiative, I commend Dr Bello Muhammad Matawalle for embarking on infrastructure development as a means of social and economic empowerment of the entire good people of Zamfara State. Just last week, he flagged-off the construction of 10,000 2-bedroom housing units for internally displaced persons, IDPs. Late last year, the governor also flagged-off the construction of Sankalawa road to add to the list of ongoing road infrastructure constructions in the state. These constructions are not only providing shelter and access to rural communities, they are creating job opportunities for the people of Zamfara. Other programmes in the area of employment, youths and women employment, education, agriculture, health, transportation, science and technology have repositioned the state and are contributing to the overall peace initiative.
No doubt, relative peace has returned to Zamfara and complete peace is achievable. However, because complete peace requires complete support, governors of all the Northwest States – Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kaduna and the adjoining Niger State should adopt dialogue as a panacea to the crisis of banditry in the region. This will among other gains give room for a coordinated holistic engagement with all repentant bandits, organised rehabilitation and speedy return of peace.
Given the resources at its disposal, the federal government must consider the gains of Matawalle’s peace initiative and listen to calls for amnesty for bandits. Our position might not be popular but we believe it is in the best interest of the country. The same way amnesty to militants ended the frequent vandalization of critical oil infrastructure, kidnapping of expatriates and give room for improvement in oil productionand peace; amnesty for bandits will end banditry, rustling, stealing, kidnapping, rape, killings and ultimately promote ranching, and peace in the Northwest.
Like in the case of Niger-Delta, the amnesty programme for bandits should also provide scholarships, training and employment opportunities. While the scholarship opportunities will afford the repentees quality education and enable them to appreciate modern cattle rearing methods. The vocational training and employment opportunities will empower them with life skills and reduced youths redundancy and criminality in the region.
The federal government must learn from the Niger-Delta experience. Long years of military combat only led to loss of lives – militants, civilians and security agents inclusive. We must not forget that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of blessed memories in his wisdom introduced the amnesty programme for militants and what long years of military combat could not achieve, dialogue achieved in months. And this is the current situation in Zamfara, the peace initiative of Dr Mattawalle’s has recorded unprecedented gains that military combat *alone* could not achieve in years.
Finally, all stakeholders in the Nigeria project must set-aside party and personal differences in the overall interest of peace in Zamfara and the country as a whole and consider the gains of dialogue over military combat. Remember, every war ends in dialogue.
Hon. Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi represents Gummi/Bukkuyum in the House of Representatives
By Abiodun KOMOLAFE
The concepts of power, privilege and governance are complex and multifaceted. Power refers to the ability to influence others, while privilege denotes unearned advantages.
Governance encompasses institutions, structures and processes that regulate these dynamics. Together, these concepts raise fundamental questions about justice, equality and resource distribution.
It emphasizes the importance of considering marginalized groups’ experiences and perspectives. The main problem in Nigeria today is its political economy, which is rooted in rent-seeking and fosters a mindset that prioritizes patronage over production.
The country’s politics are characterized by a patron-client relationship, where everything revolves around government handouts rather than effective governance. This has led to a situation where “politics” in Nigeria is essentially a scramble for resources in a country with severely limited opportunities for self-improvement.
When French agronomist René Dumont wrote ‘False Starts in Africa’ in 1962, he inadvertently described Nigeria’s current state in 2025. Nigeria’s missteps have magnified themselves in the theatre of the absurd, such as the construction of a new vice presidential residence and Governor Chukwuemeka Soludo’s boasts about the lavish official residence for the governor of Anambra State, currently under construction.
It is to be noted in contradistinction that the newly sworn-in Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, is looking for somewhere to live. The official residence of the prime minister, 24 Sussex Drive, the Canadian equivalent of 10 Downing Street, is in disrepair and uninhabitable. No Canadian government can dare ask the parliament to appropriate the $40m needed to refurbish the residence.
Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) exceeds $2 trillion, while Nigeria’s GDP is less than $400 billion. Still, Nigeria claims to be a giant! With an electricity generation capacity of less than 6,000 megawatts, Nigeria’s proclamation seems absurd, especially when compared to cities like Johannesburg, Singapore, Hong Kong and Mumbai. Even Lagos State alone should be generating, transmitting and distributing at least 15,000 megawatts, which would be a basic expectation rather than an achievement.
Nigeria today needs a comprehensive overhaul of its governance crisis to build a new political economy and social services that are fit for purpose. Although the government is on the right path in some ways, a root-and-branch transformation is still necessary.
A notable breakthrough is the decision to recapitalize development finance institutions, such as the Bank of Industry and, crucially, the Bank of Agriculture. This move is significant in a rent-seeking state, as it addresses the need for long-term capital – a prerequisite for achieving meaningful progress.
The development finance institutions require annual recapitalization of at least N500 billion, ideally N1 trillion. Achieving this necessitates a thorough cost evaluation of the government’s machinery, starting with the full implementation of the Oronsaye Committee’s recommendations.
The resulting cost savings can then be redirected to development finance institutions and essential social services like primary healthcare. Furthermore, the government should be bolder, if it can afford to be so, especially since there’s no discernible opposition on offer At the moment, the Nigerian political establishment across the board appears to be enamored by the position put forward by the leader of the Russian revolution, Vladimir Lenin, after the failed putsch. Lenin wrote the classic, ‘What is to be done?’
His observation is that revolutions do not take place at times of grinding poverty. They do so during periods of relatively rising prosperity. Significant sections of the Nigerian establishment believe that relatively rising prosperity could trigger off social discontent.
In their own interest, they had better be right. The caveat is that Lenin wrote ‘What’s to be Done’ in 1905. The world has moved on and changed since the conditions that led to the failure of the attempted takeover of government in Russia in 1905. Therefore, the Nigerian political establishment, for reasons of self-preservation, had better put on its thinking cap. Addressing power and privilege in governance requires collective action, institutional reforms and a commitment to promoting social justice. Nigeria currently lacks a leadership recruitment process, which can only be established if political parties are willing to develop a cadre. Unfortunately, the country is dealing with Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) instead. It’s rare to find leadership in Nigeria operating political boot camps to recruit and groom youths for future leadership roles.
This might be why many young people have a misguided understanding of politics, viewing it as merely a means of sharing the nation’s commonwealth. Mhairi Black was elected to the British House of Commons at 20 years old.
However, the key point is that Black had started becoming involved in politics at a young age. By the time she was elected, she had already gained significant experience, effectively becoming a veteran in the field. In Nigeria, politics is often seen as one of the few avenues for self-fulfillment. However, the economy is stagnant, with few jobs created in the public sector and limited investment opportunities.
This is a far cry from the 1950s and 1960s, when political parties were more substantial. Today, it’s worth asking how many Nigerian political parties have functional Research Departments. Besides, what socialization into any philosophy or ideology do our politicians have? Similarly to former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, many of those who currently hold power are motivated to stay in politics due to concerns about economic stability.
Of course, that’s why the Lagos State House of Assembly has had to revert itself. It is the same challenge that has reduced the traditional institution to victims of Nigeria’s ever-changing political temperature. It is the reason an Ogbomoso indigene is not interested in what happened between Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola.
It is also the reason an Ijebuman sees an Ogbomoso man as his enemy without bothering to dig up the bitter politics that ultimately succeeded in putting the two families on the path of permanent acrimony. Of course, that’s why we have crises all over the place! May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!
KOMOLAFE wrote from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk; 08033614419)
Byabiodun KOMOLAFE
Rivers State is now under emergency rule, and it’s likely to remain so for the next six months, unless a drastic change occurs.
If not managed carefully, this could mark the beginning of a prolonged crisis.
In situations like this, opinions tend to be divergent. For instance, some people hold the notion that the security situation and the need to protect the law and public order justified President Bola Tinubu’s proclamation of a state of emergency in, and the appointment of a sole administrator for Rivers State.
However, others view this act as ‘unconstitutional’, ‘reckless’, ‘an affront on democracy’, and ‘a political tool to intimidate the opposition’. When we criticize governments for unmet expectations, we often rely on our own perspectives and biases.
Our individual identities and prejudices shape our criticism. However, it’s essential to recognize that not all criticism is equal. Protesting within the law is fundamentally different from protests that descend into illegality. Once illegality creeps in, the legitimacy of the protest is lost.
As John Donne wrote in ‘Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions’, “Never send to know for whom the bell tolls.” A protest is legitimate when it aligns with societal norms, values and laws. But when protests are marred by violence or sabotage, they lose credibility. Without credibility, protests become ineffective.
Regarding the validity or otherwise of the emergency rule in Rivers State, it is imperative that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors approach the Supreme Court immediately. They should seek a definitive clarification on whether the proclamation is ultra vires or constitutional.
For whatever it’s worth, they owe Nigerians that responsibility!May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!
Abiodun KOMOLAFE,ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk; 08033614419 – SMS only.
Abba Dukawa
The political crisis began in December 2023, when Governor Fubara ordered the demolition of the state House of Assembly complex, which remains unrebuilt to this day. This act has effectively paralyzed the legislative arm, disrupting the state’s system of checks and balances.
The Supreme Court highlighted the severity of this situation on February 28, 2025, emphasizing the absence of a functional government in Rivers State and the executive’s role in collapsing the legislative arm, thereby creating a governance void
Additionally, recent reports indicate that militants have been vandalizing pipelines and issuing threats without any intervention from the state government, raising concerns about the state’s security and economic stability.Given Rivers State’s crucial role in the country’s economy, this situation necessitates urgent and cautious intervention from the federal government.Despite interventions from various stakeholders, including Tinubu himself, the crisis has persisted
.It’s worth noting that Tinubu is the third president to invoke Section 305 of the Constitution, after Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and Former President Goodluck Jonathan.
President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State has sparked intense debate about its necessity and potential motivations. During his nationwide speech, Tinubu warned that this decision could set off a chain of unpredictable events, potentially leading to radical ideologies and extremist tendencies.
Critics argue that Tinubu’s decision was unnecessary and politically motivated, particularly given his connection to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, who is accused of being the “arrowhead” of the crisis. Some believe that Tinubu’s administration aims to remove Governor Fubara, perceived as hostile to the 2027 Tinubu/Wike project.Ultimately, the motivations behind Tinubu’s decision remain unclear, and its implications for Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole are yet to be fully seen.
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly opposed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and his suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State President Tinubu, in his national address, cited rising political tensions and recent acts of pipeline vandalism as justification for the emergency declaration.House of Assembly. President Tinubu, in his national address, cited rising political tensions and recent acts of pipeline vandalism as justification for the emergency declaration.
The NBA pointed to Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, which governs the procedure for declaring a state of emergency. While this section grants the President emergency powers, it does not allow for the removal or suspension of elected officials. The NBA stressed that the only constitutional method for removing a governor or deputy governor is through impeachment as outlined in Section 188.
Furthermore, the removal of lawmakers must adhere to electoral laws and constitutional provisions insisted that a state of emergency does not equate to an automatic dissolution of an elected government, and any attempt to do so is an overreach of executive power.
Also Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly condemned President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it an “assault on democracy” that must be denounced in the strongest possible terms . Wazirin Adamawa argues that Tinubu’s administration is responsible for the chaos in Rivers State, either by enabling it or failing to prevent it. He emphasizes that the President should bear full responsibility for any compromise of federal infrastructure in the state, rather than punishing the people of Rivers State with a state of emergency.
Abubakar also accuses president Tinubu of being a partisan actor in the political turmoil in Rivers, and his refusal to prevent the escalation is seen as “disgraceful to the people of Rivers” The former Vice President believes that the destruction of national infrastructure in Rivers State is a direct result of the President’s failure to act, and punishing the people of Rivers State would be undemocratic.
In his statement, former vice president asserts that the declaration of a state of emergency “reeks of political manipulation and outright bad faith. He urges that the people of Rivers State should not be punished for the political gamesmanship between the governor and Tinubu’s enablers in the federal government. Other analyst believes that the situation in Rivers State, though politically tense, does not meet the constitutional threshold for the removal of elected officials.
For a state of emergency to be declared, Section 305(3) of the Constitution outlines specific conditions, including:
1. War or external aggression against Nigeria. Imminent danger of invasion or war. A breakdown of public order and safety to such an extent that ordinary legal measures are insufficient.
Other reasons for such decisions to be enforced are clear danger to Nigeria’s existence and Occurrence of any disaster or natural calamity affecting a state or a part of it. Where public danger constitutes a threat to the Federation.
Since the state of the emergency in Rivers state has been promulgation, political watchers questions whether the political crisis in Rivers State has reached the level of a complete breakdown of law that has warranting the removal of the Governor and his administration. Political disagreements, legislative conflicts, or executive-legislative tensions do not constitute a justification for emergency rule.
Had been the president remain filmed Such conflicts should have been resolved through legal and constitutional mechanisms, including the judiciary, rather than executive fiat.
A state of emergency is an extraordinary measure that must be invoked strictly within constitutional limits. The removal of elected officials under the pretext of emergency rule is unconstitutional and unacceptable.Tinubu’s administration decision to declare a state of emergency has been met with mixed reactions. Some argue that it was necessary to restore sanity to the state and ensure the country’s stability. Others,, believe that it was an unnecessary decision that could have dire economic and security implications for the state and Nigeria at large.
Was declaration for Rivers state is necessary or political motivation? President Bola Amed Tinubu is fully aware that the declaration of State of Emergency in a prevalent democratic system is not the solution to the self-inflicted crisis bedeviling the State.
What Tinubu needed most was to call Wike, his Minister of FCT, to order. The former governor Wike is the arrowhead of the crisis bedeviling the State.
Now what the president Tinubu decision for the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State was an unnecessary decision” that could have dire economic and security implications for the state and Nigeria at large.
Other views whether president decisions of keeping his ally, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, is worth jeopardizing Nigeria’s economy.The keen watcher of events regarded the decision as a display of unpardonable mediocrity and diabolic partisanship geared towards 2027.
Tinubu administration wants to use the excuse of the political instability and other security challenges in Rivers to remove Governor FUBURA from the POWER considered hostile to the minister of the Federal Capital Territory or TInubu/Wiki diabolic partisanship geared towards 2027 election.
During his speeches Mr. President, blaming only the state governor and House of Assembly for the crisis in Rivers State is like expecting one iron to make a loud sound – it’s unrealistic and ignores the roles of others, including the former governor and a cabinet member in your administration.
Let us not forget; The situation in Rivers state is indeed complex, with President Tinubu’s intervention aiming to restore order, but also raising important questions about the balance between federal intervention and state autonomy. Invoking a state of emergency to suspend elected officials is a drastic measure that may set a worrying precedent, especially if not handled carefully.
The appointment of a retired military officer as the state’s administrator also raises concerns about the militarization of a democratic government. This move may be perceived as an attempt to exert federal control over the state, rather than allowing democratic processes to unfold, the initial six-month period of emergency rule, with provisions for extension, could lead to prolonged federal control. This is why it’s essential to establish clear timelines and measurable objectives to ensure a timely return to democratic governance.
Some of the key concerns that need to be addressed include: The potential for abuse of power*: The suspension of elected officials and the appointment of a military administrator could be seen as an attempt to consolidate federal power.
– *The impact on democratic institutions*: The emergency rule could undermine the democratic institutions in Rivers state and set a precedent for future interventions.
– *The need for transparency and accountability*: The federal government must ensure that the emergency rule is transparent, accountable, and subject to regular review. Ultimately, finding a balance between restoring order and respecting democratic institutions is crucial. The federal government must tread carefully to avoid exacerbating the situation and ensure a peaceful resolution.
Dukawa public affairs commentator and can be reached at abbahydukawa@gmail.com
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