North Lacks Responsible Leadership — Matawalle

Governor of Zamfara state, Bello Matawalle has said that the north lacks responsible leadership.

Gatekeepers News reports that the Governor of Zamfara state, North-West, Nigeria, Bello Matawalle that the north lacks responsible leadership, saying the ruling elite had no vision for the region beyond gaining political power.

He warned that the war against banditry in the Northwest would remain a significant security challenge that had the potential to swallow the region and the country.

Matawalle said this at the inauguration of the new executives of Arewa Media Writers Association.

Matawalle was represented by his Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Magaji.

He said when he took office on May 29, 2019, Zamfara State had already been mired in a serious security crisis for over a decade, in the form of banditry, livestock rustling, kidnapping, and a host of other crimes.

He explained that on a daily basis, the state was in the news for bloodletting, fire, pillage, and significant displacement of people, particularly those living in rural areas.

Matawalle said it was evident that the Northern leaders were responsible for the plight of the region.

He said: “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 sub-region.

“Shinkafi and Zurmi local government areas are the hot spot of banditry, even though there is 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 elite 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.’’