Allegations of N 70 Billions: Time For Bola Tinubu to relieve Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle
By Ibrahim Garba Maradun
I will begin this write up by saying that, it is high time for Mr. President His Excellency, Sen. Bola Ahmad Tinubu to relieve the Minister of State for Defence Bello Muhammad Matawalle of his appointment so that he can face his corruption charges labelled against him before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC).
In fact, there is the need for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to relieve Bello Matawalle as the Honourable Minister of State for Defence and allowed him to face investigations for his actions as the former Governor of Zamfara state, looking how his stewardship was marked by corruption, mishandling of insecurity, empowerment and encouraging bandits and terrorists groups, including distribution of brand new Hilux vehicles to them.
I think this will save the image and reputation of the Tinubu’s government as well as give the citizens of Nigeria the confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is ready to fight corruption head-on as promised.
With references to the recent accusations by two PDP publicity Secretaries that Matawalle distributed palliatives to bandits using former Deputy Speaker of Zamfara State House of Assembly Musa Bawa Musa Yankuzo, there is the need for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be fair to the good people of Zamfara State who supported and voted for him conditionally to allow Matawalle to face investigations by relevant agencies to answer for his actions as Governor of the state.
If Beta Edu the suspended Minister for Humanitarian Affairs can be dropped because of allegations of corrupt practices, Matawalle shall be shown the same path in the spirit of natural justice.
Many citizens of Zamfara State are not happy with Tinubu when he picked Matawalle as Minister simply because of his historical antecedents of being the “worst Governor” ever produced in the history of Zamfara state since 1996.
Record has shown that his inability to strengthen governance through provision of basic social amenities in education, health sector as well as provision of socio-economic infrastructures caused him his massive failure and defeat in the 2023 general elections.
The attempt by Bello Matawalle to make security challenges faced by Zamfara more complex has raise a sustained tension from among the people who believed he was only playing with insecurity to witch-hunt the opposition who are not ready to do his bidden then as the Governor of the state.
Under Matawalle as Governor, Zamfara witnessed the worst security situation with twin massive school abduction cases at Government Girls Secondary School Jangebe in Talata Mafara local Government and Kaya community in his hometown of Maradun local Government that caused Nigeria a global condemnation and bad name.
Shifting from that, he hides under the ravaging insecurity to loot money through initiative of several incomplete jamboree projects and used his agents of the devil to siphon the state billions of naira that are supposed to be use in improving health sector, education and infrastructural development.
The allegations of N 70 Billions scandal established against him is one out of many which only investigation by the EFCC will expose his wickedness and there is no better thing to do than to relieve him of that ministerial appointment so that he can face his ordeal with the anti-corruption agencies
It is extremely arguable that, people of Zamfara State dwelled their voting Anger on the APC in 2023 simply because they believed the Governor has failed them woefully.
Now that the allegations of corruption became eminently pronounced on him, the President need to take the most honourable steps of dropping him so that he can account for the where about of the resources of the state allegedly looted.
Mr President should be reminded that despite the appointment of Bello Matawalle as Minister of State for Defence, He has not for once shown any commitment to support the current governor in his bid to end the lingering insecurity facing the state.
He only succeeded in sponsoring his political supporters in using the social media to castigate every steps taken by the Governor in collaboration with the security agencies to restore peace in the state.
As Minister of State for Defence his local government of Maradun is the most unsecured place to leave on earth and the evidence is glaringly open for all to verify.
Just last week bandits launched a deadly attack on the people of Gora the second most largest town after Maradun and about 120 people including women, the aged and children were Abducted and two other people were killed.
In this month of May alone one cannot count the number of attacks suffered by the people of Maradun the home town of the Minister without him even sending a written message of commiseration as show of concern to the people of the local government
The road linking Talata Mafara from Gusau the capital city of Zamfara has never been secured and despite several calls by his constituents the Minister did not deemed it important to offer them the deserving help.
Before I conclude this piece, I want to notify the President that if politics and political relevance is what qualified someone for a position of a Minister I think he need to have a rethink about Zamfara because the current Minister of State for Defence has disconnected himself with his constituents.
Since after his shameful defeat in the 2023 gubernatorial elections, he has never return to Maradun until when the Court of Appeal announced that the election of Zamfara Governorship was inconclusive.
Since then he seems not to have business with any body in Zamfara State on the argument that they have rejected his second term bid.
His open maltreatment of the APC supporters who attempt to access him is lacking in goodwill hence majority have abandoned him for his inhuman treatment of the party supporters.
He has also created a serious division within the party to the extent that the party has been converted into a war zone where everyone is after anybody found.
I will conclude by emphasizing the need for the President to heed to this clarion call and fire the Minister of State for Defense so that independent investigation could be conducted and state funds looted be recovered.