Former Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle has dismissed allegations of aiding banditry levelled in opposition to him by the state Governor, Dauda Lawal.
Matawalle, now Minister of State for Defence, challenged politicians together with Lawal to swear on the Quran to show their innocence within the banditry disaster plaguing the state.
“I used to be the one governor to swear on the Holy Quran that I’ve no hand in banditry.
“I challenged all of the politicians, together with Basic Ali Gusau and Dauda Lawal, to do the identical. None of them might take the oath, and in the event that they don’t take the oath, which means they’re a part of it,” Matawalle instructed Channels Tv in an interview on Tuesday.
Lawal had urged the minister to resign so as to clear his identify. In keeping with Lawal, the previous governor stored terrorists on the authorities home, and ransom was paid to terrorists by means of the federal government.
Matawalle, nevertheless, defended his determination to have interaction in dialogue with bandits, a apply he says was supported by a number of governors and has led to the restoration of kidnapped individuals and ammunition in Zamfara.
“They need to carry any proof of that,” the minister mentioned.
“As a result of I interact in dialogue, it was not solely me. Do not forget that all of the governors dialogue; the governor of Niger State engaged in dialogue with bandits, and the governor of Sokoto did the identical. Why am I singled out? As a result of it’s Zamfara.”
“Zamfara is a really complicated state with horrible human beings and devilish concepts.”
Matawalle additionally indicated that his accusers are all concerned within the actions they’ve alleged in opposition to him.
“I’ve all the time acted in good religion, as produce other governors who engaged in dialogue with bandits, together with the Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, and the Governor of Sokoto State. But, I appear to be singled out, maybe as a result of Zamfara is a fancy state with horrible human beings and devilish concepts,” he said.
The previous governor of Zamfara additionally denied allegations of siphoning state funds, claiming these had been fabrications of the current governor of the state, Dauda Lawal.
He mentioned, “In my 4 years, I didn’t ever obtain that cash. The data are there, the indices are with the Ministry of Finance. It’s on report, and let me inform you, I don’t perceive; I pity Dauda (Zamfara Gov). I believed for now he ought to consider giving good governance to the folks of Zamfara State. I believed, for now, he ought to consider the difficulty of insecurity.”
“I believed, for now, he ought to realise that governance is a steady course of as a result of if he’s in that seat immediately, tomorrow he is not going to be.”
“However how can somebody come and be telling lies, a complete governor coming to deceive the general public?”
Lawal accused the speedy previous governor, Matawalle, of stealing over ₦70 billion from the state authorities.
He decried that regardless of proof made obtainable to the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee, the fee has not finished a lot to get well the loot.