Democracy: Zamfara Govt Incapable of Handling Escalating Insecurity -Group
By Lola Seriki-Idahosa, Kaduna
Tracereporters --A group known as Zamfara Progressive Movement for Peace and Development (ZAPPDE) has lamented the ways and manners the Zamfara State Government under Governor Dauda Lawal is handling the escalating insecurity in the state is worrisome and hopeless if nothing serious is done quickly to rescue the state.


The group said People of Zamfara State are still suffering the challenges of insecurity, hunger, and depression despite having democratically elected leaders at the federal and State levels, the group, Zamfara Progressive Movement for Peace and Development (ZAPPDE) has said.


Chairman of ZAPPDE in the state, Alhaji Adamu Danyaula Matusgi, in a statement argued that the recent acclaimed achievements in the fight against banditry as captured in the state government's one-year report card exist but only in the paper as residents live in fair and uncertainty each day.

According to him, there was deceit and misguided information about the acclaimed executed projects majority of which only existed on paper not seen in reality.

The statement read in part; "Some of these advertised projects about development in the state are mirages because the escalating insecurity is now affecting almost all the 14 local government areas in the state.

"We are worried that today in Zamfara, many people whose means of livelihood depend on farming can no longer go to the farm while the few ones that can have to pay bandits during planting and harvesting.

"Already, the level of education in Zamfara is abysmally low. The escalating insecurity has further worsened this situation and we all know that education is key to having a peaceful progressive society.

"Rather than overheating the polity through campaigns of calumny on social media and other platforms to water down the previous efforts to secure the state, the survival of an ordinary man in the state should be the major concern of well-meaning Nigerians including the state government and all it represents.

"To Zamfarawa, there were no projects or infrastructural development when bandits were having a field day attacking, maiming, kidnapping, and killing our people just because of the ineptitude of the government to do the needful.

"Despite all the available data and general views, the Zamfara state government ignored them but it has continued to misguide the people of Zamfara with acclaimed success in the fight against insecurity.

"To be specific, bandits are now holding many enclaves around Tsafe, Dansadau, Shinkafi, Bukkuyum, and Zurmi. Their activities are becoming so disturbing around roads linking Talata Mafara to Mayanci to Bungudu while other suspected groups have taken over Tsafe to Magazu to Wanzamai.

"We are of the view that instead of spending time, money, and energy on perceived political enemies, the current administration should work harder by way of bringing present and past leaders together to salvage the situation before it is too late.

"For example, the state government can bring some of the past leaders who have left a footprint In peace and political cohesion together in the interest of the vast majority of our people.

"We, therefore urge the government of Dauda Lawal to focus on issues and ways of eradicating these challenges by way of bringing back security and political cohesion to the state".