From Maiharaji Altine Gusau
The National chairman, Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi has said that Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state has no option but to dialogue with the bandits as the last step to end banditry in the state.
Speaking to journalists in Gusau, Dr. Shinkafi said, the Governor must use dialogue because the security personnel deployed to the state were grossly inadequate to control the banditry activities.
“I am one hundred percent in support of the peace initiative because of the inadequate number of security personnel we have in the the state”.
“The number of bandits currently in Zamfara is ten times bigger than the the number of the security agents, as such, the only option left for Matawalle is to create peace process through dialogue”.
Dr. Shinkafi stressed that, “Even if the federal government deploys more security and be given the most sophisticated weapons it will be very difficult to end banditry in Zamfara”.
“Let me tell the whole world that, Governor Matawalle has no option but to use dialogue, because he is not in total control of Police and the Military. They belong to the Federal Government and they are not enough to fight the bandits “.
According to Shinkafi, it would be very difficult for the government to end banditry in the state without dialogue because the armed bandits have more sophisticated weapons including rocket launchers and machine guns than the security personnel.
He urged the people of the state to stop blaming Governor Bello Matawalle for the current insecurity situation in the state, stressing that, “He inherited the problem from the past administration of Governor Abdul Aziz Yari.
He said, “Matawalle is not the one who started banditry in the state”.
“He inherited the problem from the past administration of former Governor Abdul Aziz Yari and we all know that the rate of killings, and kidnappings have reduced to the bearest minimum during Matawalle’s administration”.
He however stressed that, “The problem we are having today is as a result of the overzealousness of some desperate politicians who want to come back to power in 2023”.
“They have forgotten that God gives power to whom he wants. It is a matter of destiny and whatever God has destined to happen, must happen no matter what”.
“God has said that today, Matawalle is the Governor of Zamfara state and if he wants him to continue beyond 2023, nobody can change that”.
Dr. Shinkafi concluded that’ “No amount of intimidation, blackmail will change it”.
