Governor Mohammed Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has, in Kaduna on Sunday, warned that the war against banditry in the Northwest will remain a significant security challenge that has the potential to swallow the region and the country.

Matawalle spoke while presenting a paper titled “The Fight Against Banditry in Northwest Nigeria: Challenges and Solutions” at the inauguration of the new executives of Arewa Media Writers Association, saying it was evident that the Northern leaders were responsible for the plight of the region.

Represented by the Zamfara State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Magaji, Governor Matawalle said when he took office on May 29th, 2019, Zamfara State had already been mired in a serious security crisis for over a decade, marked by banditry, livestock rustling, kidnapping, and a host of other crimes.

On an almost daily basis, he explained, the State was in the news for bloodletting, fire, pillage, and significant displacement of people, particularly those living in rural areas.

According to him, “historical economic, social and cultural ties between the dominant communities of Fulani and Hausa were ruptured; farming activities across the State were halted, and commercial activities were crippled.”

“With poverty on the increase and food security seriously affected by the crisis, the State was on the verge of a catastrophic social eruption capable of destabilising our communities and the northwest subregion.”

“Shinkafi and Zurmi LGAs are the hot spots of banditry even though there are no mining activities going there. Rural banditry in Zamfara and other parts of the north, in my opinion, is a result of the progressive degradation of our moral standards and a culture of greed fed by an unfettered need for material goods.”

“As shown in this presentation, the culture of cattle raiding by pastoralist groups is not something new. It was practised in the days gone by to demonstrate courage and bravery, and no violence was used. What we witness today, however, are horrible crimes unimaginable, which include rape, killings of women and children, kidnapping, highway robbery and other gruesome atrocities.”

“It is evident, therefore, that we, the leaders, are responsible for the plight of the north.

The north lacks responsible leadership to steer it through our time’s uncharted waters. Our ruling elite has no vision for the region beyond gaining political power.

We have all seen how the elites in the south-east and southwest respond in unison to all matters concerning their regions’ development. We have seen how they have a defined agenda and are relentless in their pursuit of regional development,” he said.

Speaking on the challenges to peace efforts the Governor said his experience over the past two years has shown that the major challenges to their peace efforts were reluctance by the affected states to embrace peace dialogue, which would have deprived the recalcitrant bandits currently tormenting their people of safe corridors in the region.

Also, “lack of support from a section of politicians that wish to take advantage of the situation to achieve political ends and the need for the Federal Government to key into the peace initiative so that appropriate resources can be allocated.”

“Unless we all wake up to the situation, the war against banditry in the northwest will remain a significant security challenge that has the potential to swallow the region and the country. The destruction that banditry is wreaking on the region’s people and the economy is unfathomable.”

“This is a siren appeal to leaders of the region to wake up from their lethargy and unite in combating this grave challenge.

We need to get to the roots of the situation, stop politicising it and act decisively,” he said.


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/07/boko-haram-banditry-wake-up-from-your-lethargy-unite-stop-politicising-fight-against-terrorism-matawalle-challenges-northern-leaders-elites/

Matawalle is correct except for the bit below. He should replace SE with SS because SE politicians and elites are as hopeless and as clueless as Northern politician and elites, if not worse, in terms of leaders having no vision or agenda for their people.

It is no coincidence the North and SE are the two most troubled region in Nigeria today.

The north lacks responsible leadership to steer it through our time’s uncharted waters. Our ruling elite has no vision for the region beyond gaining political power.

We have all seen how the elites in the south-east and southwest respond in unison to all matters concerning their regions’ development. We have seen
how they have a defined agenda and are relentless in their pursuit of regional development,” he said.

OneTemplate:
Matawalle is correct except for the bit below. He should replace SE with SS because SE politicians and elites are as hopeless and as clueless as Northern politician and elites, if not worse, in terms of leaders having no vision or agenda for their people.

It is no coincidence the North and SE are the two most troubled region in Nigeria today.

You should be ashamed of yourself comparing the SE with the core north.
Is there banditry/gboko Haram in the SE, is there kidnapping for ransom, is there abject poverty in the SE?

This is why those in the north (especially core north) are where they are because they are are too lazy to solve the problem they created.

nthony10:


You should be ashamed of yourself comparing the SE with the core north.
Is there banditry/gboko Haram in the SE, is there kidnapping for ransom, is there abject poverty in the SE?

This is why those in the north (especially core north) are where they are because they are are too lazy to solve the problem they created.

Stop deluding yourself. The SE may not be as bad as the North but it is closest, of all regions of the South, to becoming like the North specifically because of the atrocious leaders you Igbos continue to vote into power year in and year out while you only have the energy and interest to discuss the problems and leaders of others alone and never your own.

Truth is bitter and I don't expect responses different to your own from Igbos to my post because you people perpetually live in denial and are fond of seeing the speck in the eyes of others while you miss the boulder in yours.

OneTemplate:


Stop deluding yourself. The SE may not be as bad as the North but it is closest, of all regions of the South, to becoming like the North specifically because of the atrocious leaders you Igbos continue to vote into power year in and year out while you only have the energy and interest to discuss the problems and leaders of others alone and never your own.

Truth is bitter and I don't expect responses different to your own from Igbos to my post because you people perpetually live in denial and are fond of seeing the speck in the eyes of others while you miss the boulder in yours.

Please focus on your region and stop putting mouth in other people's region in a bid to derail this topic.

Apart from Imo governor who was installed by the northern cabal, all other SE governors are just as terrible in leadership as the other states of Nigeria if not better.

nthony10:


Please focus on your region and stop putting mouth in other people's region in a bid to derail this topic.

Apart from Imo governor who was installed by the northern cabal, all other SE governors are just as terrible in leadership as the other states of Nigeria if not better.

Continue living in denial. It is your way historically and also your prerogative.

OneTemplate:


Continue living in denial. It is your way historically and also your prerogative.

The issue is you are giving advice when your region is burning, who is living in denial.

nthony10:


The issue is you are giving advice when your region is burning, who is living in denial.

My region the SW is "burning"? You must be a joker. All Nigerian leaders, to include Northerners and even your own Igbo leaders , albeit grudgingly, are now admitting the SW is the most sane, most secure and most thriving region of Nigeria by far.

Like I said, keep living in denial buddy and praising your clearly failed and unacceptably substandard leaders. It is in your nature to do so.

OneTemplate:


My region the SW is "burning"? You must be a joker. All Nigerian leaders, to include Northerners and even your own Igbo leaders , albeit grudgingly, are now admitting the SW is the most sane, most secure and most thriving region of Nigeria by far.

Like I said, keep living in denial buddy and praising your clearly failed and unacceptably substandard leaders. It is in your nature to do so.

Bro, I was never referring to the SW (after all I live there and they are great people).

Seems you don't know how to stick to the topic of discussion, instead you resort to ridicule (that's your business though).

nthony10:


Bro, I was never referring to the SW (after all I live there and they are great people).

Seems you don't know how to stick to the topic of discussion, instead you resort to ridicule (that's your business though).

You said my region is burning. I am from the SW. What response do you want from me other than the factual one I gave when you called me out over my region?

Obvious you are the one not able to stick to the topic because of your innate bias that always leads you to make prejudiced conclusions and assumptions about others. That I supported what Matawalle said means I am from the North?

Bro , the Yorubas don't deny the truth even when such comes from our worst enemy. We have an adage that says "ti a ba sun ekun ki a ma riran". Meaning that even when you cry still try and see clearly through your tears.

OneTemplate:


You said my region is burning. I am from the SW. What response do you want from me other than the factual one I gave when you called me out over my region?

Obvious you are the one not able to stick to the topic because of your innate bias that always leads you to make prejudiced conclusions and assumptions about others. That I supported what Matawalle said means I am from the North?

Bro , the Yorubas don't deny the truth even when such comes from our worst enemy. We have an adage that says "ti a ba sun ekun ki a ma riran". Meaning that even when you cry still try and see clearly through your tears.

If you support what was said about the north, please stick with it and don't talk about another place that you know next to nothing about.
to shock you, I'm not even from the SE but I have relatives and I go there very often

and I'm categorically telling you that the SE is not as bad as Nigerians are saying but you choose to believe what you want.