In this interview conducted before the abduction of schoolgirls in Jangebe, Zamfara State, last week, Governor Bello Mohammed (Matawallen Maradun) spoke on issues bordering on insecurity, development and politics in the state and what his government is doing to address the menace of rural banditry that has bedevilled the state in the last one decade. Excerpt:
Two years ago, you campaigned to be governor of Zamfara State. What were your expectations and how did you meet things on the ground?
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When I was campaigning to be the governor, I knew the problems that I will face. Particularly there were challenges of insecurity which in the last two years of the former administration, the people must be in their houses after 6 pm, within the capital city of Gusau, because there were roving local criminals that can harm anyone they came across. Many cases were recorded. But the former administration was taking so many things about insecurity for granted. I think the former governor did not understand how to tackle the situation because he did not know much about insecurity. Even as governor, he told the world that he resigned as the chief security officer of the state. That showed total failure and his inability to perform.
As of 2010, we did not have the issue of insecurity such as banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality. These issues started immediately after he was elected governor in 2011. Everybody believes that it all happened during his time till the end of his tenure. So, this issue of insecurity is something that I inherited. It has been on for the past eight years.
I tried all I could to get to the root cause of insecurity in the state. I called all the stakeholders including the Council of Ulama, traditional institutions, politicians, security agencies, Yan Sakai and the Fulani. I did that to understand the root cause of what is happening in the state. After we understood the situation, we came with the issue of dialogue, a peace accord which both the Fulani and Yan Sakai agreed to subscribe to.
Alhamdulillahi, since we started the peace accord, there have been tremendous successes achieved in rescuing people that were under captivity. Some foreign nationals were in captivity for over eight months but when I became governor, I rescued most of them without paying anything. This is an issue of understanding and diplomacy. It is not an issue that can be fought completely. There is nowhere in the world that war or fight resolved an issue. In the end, they still all have to come to the negotiating table to discuss peace for both sides to understand and agree on the peace by negotiating a way forward.
Aside from insecurity, what were the other challenges you met on the ground?
There were a lot of problems of infrastructure in the state which we are addressing. In education, for example, most of our schools were in bad shape, and the standard was poor. So, we had to improve the standards of what we were doing. As part of addressing the infrastructure challenge, we are constructing a new airport. Zamfara State is the only state in the North that does not have an airport. With the meagre amount we have, we are trying to put that in place and work is in progress.
It is surprising that beyond public infrastructure, even the Government House was in bad shape. When I became governor, I couldn’t take a guest to the Government House because what I met was rubbish. Even the governor’s office, I couldn’t enter because it was stinking.
In about 90 days you will clock two years in office, looking back, what were the major changes you introduced to the state?
The major changes introduced were in the area of infrastructure. We have changed most of the concept of what the former government had, in terms of design and other things.
On the issue of peace, I thank Allah for giving me the wisdom to initiate the peace accord with these people and we have recorded a lot of successes. Even today, some repentant bandits have surrendered their weapons.
In due course, we want to mop up all the weapons they have but we have to be very careful because sometimes they might be tricky. We have been following them carefully so that they understand our aim. Actually, a lot of them have been cheated before I came to power. Some security agents and Yan Sakai used to raze down their homes and take their cattle, so they were left with nothing. They have no other option than to find any means to survive.
We have gotten some Muslim scholars to start preaching to them to know the danger and consequences of killing innocent souls, Islamically. Alhamdulillahi, they have been listening and they are submitting themselves to the government with some mulling repentance in large numbers. All we need is for them to come and live in peace with the community and engage in their legitimate day-to-day activities.
How will you rate the success of this disarmament and amnesty programme generally?
The disarmament has been going on smoothly and the good part of it is that we have not given anyone anything. They are turning in their weapons and so far we have collected so many sophisticated weapons from them which were submitted willingly.
We have recorded a lot of successes particularly on those that were kidnapped and rescued. They do bring them of their own volition. We thank God because if we continue that way, at the end of the day, we will leave them in the bush without any weapons due to the disarmament.
After disarmament, what other programme are you engaging the repentant bandits in, to keep them busy?
The initiative of RUGA that I did is for us to get them something that will engage them. The initiative is a very nice concept. It is a huge complex with schools to enrol their children, veterinary clinics, abattoir, modern markets, mini stadium and earth dam and water canal that can be used for irrigation during the dry season. This concept was done to maintain and contain them in one place. This will stop them from moving from one place to another. By the time they have the social amenities, they will be encouraged to stay in one place.
There are many. All we are going to do is to make sure we enrol some of them and the state and federal governments are making arrangements for that. I saw Mr President and advised him on that. I believe very soon a concrete arrangement will be done to make sure everybody is carried on board.
Critics of this amnesty programme say it is like rewarding criminality and why should those who killed innocent citizens be rewarded with amnesty
Those that are saying that are ignorant of our realities. You told me that you went to the bush and saw the situation on the ground so you can tell the world that what we have done is the best way to do it. Without the amnesty, the kind of weapons those people have, it will be very difficult for us to defeat them. The only way is, how can we convince them to come back to their senses and leave the activity and disarm them completely.
We should collect their weapons and bring them to the appropriate authorities and that should be the best way. When you go there, I believe you saw people that were fearless.
The major problem is the terrain. The Nigerian government will bring troops from other states who do not have knowledge of Zamfara State. You saw the terrain and can testify that no one can penetrate such terrain successfully if not the locals.
With that, I want to ask those people saying we should not do amnesty, why were Nigerians happy when amnesty was given to Niger Delta militants? I was a member of the House of Representatives and chairman of the committee on national security then. I know how much was voted and spent on the amnesty in which some of them were taken to South Africa to be trained as pilots and other skills.
Why did those people not speak when that amnesty was done? they should have condemned it too. But if you are doing good things, people will not understand till you leave the position, that is when they will appreciate what you have done. To me, and you that have seen what is on the ground, giving amnesty to them is paramount and important. We cannot allow them to be acquiring so many weapons which will be a great danger to northern Nigeria.
Most of those talking do not know what we are facing.
I believe some of the remarks are political. They only politicise them so that the Buhari and Matawalle administrations will not succeed. They have already lost and want everything in Nigeria to scatter, that is the reality.
What about the victims of these bandits who were forced to pay ransom or their villages ransacked, did the government intervene, what measures were put in place to help them?
I never encouraged people to pay ransom because all the people that we secured their release, we did not pay anything. For me, diplomacy is the best option to follow with these people. Some of them are not after the money but the insincerity that some of the last governments have done to them and the killing of their family members.
This issue is very simple and what we are doing now as you asked, is we to go to IDPs to give them food, shelter, so we are taking both sides. We’ll give them food, we’ll give them so many things and shelter so we’re taking both sides. We don’t just say we’re on one side, no. Go and find out, I’ve SA on humanitarian issues and she’s doing her best anytime we have that kind of crisis. We’ve foodstuff and other materials that we can take to the IDPs. And now what we do is if any village is ransacked by bandits we put many security officers and tell them to escort the people and ask them to remain in that village. We donated about 120 Hilux vans in different locations to the security agents that are now guarding the places. So, we’re doing a lot and not on one side alone; we’re for all of them.
This problem affects many states; Katsina, Niger, Zamfara and others. But there’s an apparent lack of unity among you, the governors. Why?
It depends on the problem every governor has at hand. Like me, I inherited this from another person and it has been there for eight years. Both Masari and Abdulaziz Yari introduced dialogue about three times but which eventually failed.
It is something that I inherited and my problem is different from what’s happening in other places. So, I’ve to decide on my own that the best way we can handle this situation is to allow my people to go about their normal businesses and activities of the day. I have to do everything possible to make sure my people sleep with their two eyes closed.
So, it depends. Like Sokoto governor, we are working together and we understand each other. Whatever happens, he can contact me and I contact him too. So every governor has his way.
So we should not expect there will be one voice?
We must be one and talking with one voice because we are all from the North and the situation has been bedevilling the North for so long and it has crippled our economy. So, we need to take a common position and work together to salvage the people of Northern Nigeria.
Where is the federal government in all this?
That’s why I have my template because the federal government is fighting in so many places and the burden will be too much and as a state governor I can’t just sit and fold my hands and say I’ve to wait for the federal government before I take any action. I will not be sincere to myself. So, the federal government is doing its own best and that’s the good thing. Here in Zamfara, two days ago, the Inspector-General of police sent a special police team to fight this banditry. Just yesterday we finished the deployment of the officers in various areas and the Army too is doing its own. Everybody is working. Just know that if there’s a problem and it’s everywhere, to tackle it all will be a little bit difficult. The security forces need more manpower to tackle the challenge.
Politically, there are talks that you’re joining APC. What’s the truth about all these?
My problem now is the security of my state and those that are saying all this are doing that for their selfish interests. Because as a responsible governor who is fighting banditry and other criminalities, I should not be engaging myself in issues of politics for now. For me now it is to concentrate on how I can give good governance and secure the lives of my people. So, I don’t bring the issues of politics as of now. I am rather focusing on this issue of insecurity and other forms of criminality. I have to see what I will be able to achieve.
You know God has given me this thing so if He’s willing me to come back, I will. But Alhamdulillah, I have a business so I can go back to my business anytime. All I’ve been doing is to ensure I leave Zamfara better than I met it and that people follow our footprints so that we can make Zamfara people proud even when we leave office.
So, the ongoing APC registration exercise we shouldn’t expect you to have a membership card for now?
How can I get registration? I am a member of PDP. I can’t get the registration card for their party.
Recently, Zamfara State chapter of the APC announced mending of fences between their people who’ve been fighting. Didn’t that scare you as the opposition members are now coming together?
How can they scare me? Didn’t you hear my nickname? My nickname is Dodo. Dodo is something that people are afraid of. The game will soon start and we’re ready for the game and we know how to play the game. So, let us play the game and see the winner at the end of the day. I was in politics before all of them, so it’s not a big deal; they know me, I know them.
Economically, Zamfara State is a peasant state. What are things you are doing to take the state forward and be less reliant on federal government allocations?
I have been pushing for the federal government to have a second thought on solid minerals in Zamfara State. Zamfara is blessed with many mineral resources so the federal government can come in and extract them. If that is done, the state will be one of the richest states in Nigeria. You can check the history and index of mineral resources in the country. Zamfara is richer than about 44 countries in the world, according to a report by AFREXIM Bank.
So, if the Federal Government would be committed and very serious, the issue of Nigeria being in a recession wouldn’t be there because all the mineral resources that are needed we have them here in Zamfara State. All that is needed is for the federal government and Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals to come up with a template to harness these resources in the state.
We believe by the time the federal government is serious about this matter, the whole country will benefit from the resources in our state. I believe the president is working with the Federal Ministry Solid Mineral on something like that.
The president has approved the engagement of 10 indigenous mining companies to come to Zamfara State which the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals has given licenses to. Some of them are ready to come but for the COVID-19 restrictions; they have all registered their willingness to participate. The state’s mineral resources will be utilized by the federal government and the state will get its own derivation. That will take the state to a higher lever, insha Allah.
Are the places safe for the miners to operate now?
Yes, most of the areas would be safe and if they’re coming, security will be provided for them so that they could go anywhere. Indeed most of the areas are safe.
Your recent comment was interpreted to mean you’re defending bandits or Fulani criminals. Did you really believe bandits are not criminals?
You know I was misquoted. I said not all Fulani are criminals. You told me, you went there and saw them and discussed with them and they told you their grievances. You can understand that some of them were not criminals. They were pushed into it. So, how many Fulani do we have, are they all criminals?
You can’t just categorize a tribe as criminals. We have so many crimes taking place in so many parts of the country. We can’t label the entire tribes as criminals. So, let’s try to differentiate the issue of banditry and the Fulani. That’s what we’re trying to say. Not every Fulani is a bandit or criminal, no. So as a Fulani you will not accept it or be happy that the Fulani are labelled as criminals because you’ve Fulani blood in you. You went there and saw them; you interviewed them and listened to them and understood their grievances.
So, if someone now asks you, are these people really criminals? What are you going to say? You can’t say they are criminals because you heard their grievances and if they are criminals you can’t go to them. Can you go to Boko Haram and say you want to stay with them? You can’t. So, this is the actual situation.
Of course, there are criminals among them. We should know how to preach peace. Nigeria is one and we shouldn’t be saying things that will divide us. We should be mature and understand our differences and know that God didn’t make a mistake in bringing us together as Nigerians.
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