I was among those indigenes of Sokoto, who lost interest in the political scene of the state, since the conclusion of the 2023 elections. For, it is my view that as soon as the ballot boxes are closed and results declared, states have already been bound by fate, for good or otherwise.
Most Nigerians like me, know that the courts have since ceased to be the last hope of anyone seeking redress in Nigeria, especially in elections. This posture has all but amply been vindicated by the conduct and outcomes of election litigations across the country.
The matter had been laid to rest in Sokoto, until recently, when the immediate past governor of the state, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, claimed that his party, the PDP, was robbed of its victory in the last governorship poll in the state. That elicited a barrage from the state’s Commissioner of Information, Sambo Bello Danchadi as response, which also touched on the matter of banditry that is ravaging a large chunk of Sokoto State.
What party actually won election is not an issue of concern for me, because as I pointed out, the issue has already been settled and is therefore foregone. That of banditry will however, continue to be foremost in the minds of every indigene of the state, as long the government fails to stop the senseless spilling of the blood of innocent citizens by gun toting criminals.
In his public statement on the issue, Danchadi praised the government of his principal for recording achievements in the fight on banditry, claiming that incidences of attacks on communities were less frequent, due according to him, to the efforts of Governor Ahmed Aliyu, in comparison to what he claimed, obtained during the tenure of the previous administration.
The Commissioner’s statement is tantamount to the cock taking credit for sunrise because every informed observer is not aware of any extra-ordinary measures by the government that Danchadi belongs to towards mitigating insecurity in the state. In fact, Ahmed Aliyu has proved to be the least proactive amongst the governors of states that are facing the scourge of banditry in the Northwest.
There are, since the inception of the present administration in Sokoto, very few occasions that Ahmed Aliyu visited communities that came under attack. Neither has the governor once shared or even acknowledged the pains of the victims of banditry in the in affected communities, either in person or by proxy.
While Sokoto was the last, among Katsina and Zamfara States to inaugurate its local vigilante corps, the group in the state has remained comatose, since its passing out ceremony, three months ago. In fact, there is word that a recent security meeting of governors with the National Security Adviser rated the Sokoto establishment as the lowest in quality, to which Ahmed Aliyu responded by walking out on the forum.
Danchadi’s statements on banditry in Sokoto State are an affront on the sensitivity of the people of the state, especially those living in the worst affected areas and an insult on the intelligence of those, who know the facts of the matter. A recourse to the very recent past shows the ridicule in the Commissioner’s gaffe against the people.
During the tenure of the immediate past government, which Danchadi now chooses to vilify for the situation, ALL holders of federal posts and positions from Sokoto State were members of his own political party, the APC and ALL their portfolios were on security and defense. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko was the Senate Committee Leader on National Security, while Ahmed Aliyu, current Governor of Sokoto State was the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Police Trust Fund.
The nation’s Minister of Police Affairs was Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, while Abdullahi Gobir was was the Senate Committee Chairman on Defense both of them members of the APC. The fact that, that was a period, as Danchadi pointed out, when Sokoto State suffered the worst banditry attacks, with little being done to respond to the situation, is an unwitting indictment of Danchadi’s own party at state and national levels.
Contrary to the Commissioner’s claim, I cannot recall when the immediate past governor, Aminu Waziri blamed the Federal Government for the state of insecurity in Sokoto State. In fact, to be fair to him, he had constantly been on record to express the willingness to cooperate with the central government in the fight on banditry.
It is therefore, vindictive for Danchadi to employ deliberate falsehood in responding to concerns about such a weighty issue as insecurity, just as it is ridiculous to attempt, as he has done, to shield the Federal Government from responsibility for the situation for political expediency.
The Commissioner can certainly not claim to be ignorant of the fact that the security of any part of the country is the exclusive constitutional responsibility of the President, who is the Commander in Chief. Danchadi should otherwise tell the people of Sokoto State, from who else they should seek the protection of their lives and property.
The Sokoto State Government’s statements on the state of insecurity in Sokoto, as expressed by its Commissioner of Information are a cause for alarm. The offhand and dismissive manner they are made sends the message that as far as the administration in the state is concerned, there is no end in sight to the scourge of killings and destruction that is now virtually a daily affair in the state.
Written By: Mohammed Na’inna in Kaduna
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