June 10, (THEWILL) – A Coalition of Community-based Organisations in Zamfara state has urged the Zamfara state government to increase cooperation with the Federal Government in tackling security challenges in the State.
The Coalition leader and Chairman of the Zamfara Progressive Movement for Peace and Development (ZAPPED), Alhaji Adamu Danyaula, made the call on behalf of the group at the end of an advocacy meeting in Sokoto.
Danyaula appealed to the state government to urgently review their approaches and give fullest attention to the issue of collaboration with the Federal Government toward achieving success in the fight against insecurity.
He explained that people in Zamfara state suffer more now from security challenges, hunger and depression.
He, however, urged elected leaders at the federal and state levels from Zamfara to fine-tune modalities to end the challenges and political bickering that are destroying cohesion in the state.
”We are worried that many people whose means of livelihood depend on farming in our rural areas can no longer go to the farm while the few ones have to pay bandits during planting and harvesting.
“Education in Zamfara is abysmally low, the continued escalating insecurity has further worsened the situation and we all know that education is key to having a progressive society”, Danyaula said.
He called on Governor Dauda Lawal to join hands with relevant federal government agencies on handling the escalating security challenges that are becoming worrisome in parts of the state instead of showcasing his weakness in leadership.
”Many communities were displaced, thousands of people lost their homes and businesses; they are now living in shelters as refugees along with surviving families.”
Danyaula then cautioned the state government on ignoring the chances of cooperating with the federal government, especially the Ministry of Defense, toward sustaining efforts in the fight against insecurity and keeping political differences aside for the betterment of people.
”To be specific, bandits are now holding many enclaves around Tsafe, Dansadau, Shinkafi, Maru, Bukkuyum and Zurmi communities.
”Bandits’ activities are becoming so disturbing around roads linking to Talata Mafara to Mayanci and Bungudu while other suspected bandits have been disturbing the road leading to Tsafe, Magazu and Wanzamai, yet the Zamfara state government is not ready to sacrifice their ego to cooperate with higher authority”, he added.
The Coalition commended President Bola Tinubu on military operations, especially air and ground operations being conducted in many of the enclaves of bandits at Sabon Birni in Sokoto state and Tsafe in Zamfara and Birnin Gwari in Kaduna respectively.
They also applauded the efforts of the Minister of State Defense, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, on his intervention, concern and additional mobilisation of military support to some prone areas of attacks.
He also pointed out that the recent interventions in Tsafe, Magazu, Dansadau, Shinkafi, Isa, Illela and Bukkuyum have yielded much success in crippling bandits’ movement in Zamfara and Sokoto states.
About the Author
Tunde Omolehin is an award-winning Journalist with prose in investigative and storytelling that is connecting the dots between the under-reported communities and policymakers to ensure good governance and accountability.
