OPINION: Why Matawalle Cannot Be Trusted by Musa Dangusau
Editor's note: Public affairs commentator, Musa Dangusau, writes on the leadership of Alhaji Bello Matawalle in Zamfara state, describing it as deceitful and worthy of emulation giving the governor's actions in recent times.
It was the great physicist, Albert Einstein, who said, "whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters."
This summarizes the current situation in Zamfara state where the state governor, Alhaji Bello Matawalle has been found to be careless with the truth in matters that require trust and integrity hence it goes without saying that it would amount to a double whammy for the people of the state to trust him in future.
Source: Facebook
Zamfara, which was carved out of the former Sokoto state by right is an extension of the Caliphate and the closest to the ancient structure of civilization.
Historically, the people of Zamfara are known to be highly religious and always exhibiting the fine virtues of simplicity, humility, honesty, and truth.
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The state used to be one of the few that people from far and near cherish coming to do business without fear of being manipulated, cheated, or duped as the average Zamfara man is known to be honest and straightforward without pretenses.
For the average Zamfara man, his word is his bond as its leaders have been found to be trustworthy and responsible and have been given respectable positions outside the state.
Mallam Yahaya Gusau, Mallam Ali Akilu, Umaru Shinkafi, General Aliyu Gusau, IGP MD Abubakar, and others too numerous to mention here were known to be so diligent and trustworthy in their duties, they served at the highest positions requiring trust and integrity and it is a thing of pride to Zamfarawa that all these men served this great country without betraying the trust reposed on them.
But lately, as the state is battling to survive the twin problems of banditry and kidnapping with associated killings of young men, women, and children, wanton destruction of properties, raping, and other criminalities never seen in the history of this country, the state is very unlucky to have a deceitful leadership.
It is no exaggeration to say that the administration of Matawalle has taken Zamfara back to the stone age as the state is being ridiculed by its leadership which has made the average Zamfara man appear like a 419 and not fit to be trusted.
Like the great American leader, Thomas Jefferson once quipped, ''if a man cannot be trusted with the government of himself, can he, then be trusted with the government of others?''
The answer, as far as Zamfara is concerned, is a resounding 'no' and this is because Governor Matawalle has introduced falsehood, deceit, and outright lies to the state and has elevated the art of fake promises, speaking from both sides of his mouth and technological inexactitudes to statecraft such that in less than three years of his administration, the state has moved from its respected position as the home of Sharia to a state where one can lie with impunity.
In 2018, when Matawalle through the magnanimity of the PDP elders became the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP, he invoke the wrath of God to punish him if he ever betray the party elders or the party itself.
In a well-circulated video clip obtained by some media houses, Matawalle was seen and heard saying in Hausa:
“If I ever betray you the elders or my party the PDP, may Allah never allow me to live in peace for the rest of my life, I swear by Allah. If I can leave PDP or cheat any of our members, may Allah punish me.”
He repeated the pledge with even more intensity when some PDP governors visited him in Gusau to remind him of his promise and to plead with him to have trust in Allah who made him governor after he lost elections.
But barely in less than a year after his assurances, the deceitful Matawalle reneged on all the promises he made to Allah, the party leaders and his colleagues that came from far and wide to plead with him not to betray God. Matawalle could not keep his honour as a leader he did exactly what he vowed not to do, he renege on the favour of Allah by defecting to the APC.
At the rally in Gusau, he shamelessly said:
“As from today, I, Bello Matawalle Maradun, governor of Zamfara, am happy to announce my defection from the PDP to the APC. As from today, I am a full APC member and leader of APC in Zamfara.”
But these are not the only instances the man has been found to have violated his honour.
Recently, when the governor imposed the ban on mobile telecommunications networks and imposed draconian measures on the law-abiding citizens of the state due to the escalating security challenges in the state, he vowed on a Friday inside the Mosque not to abandon the people by leaving the state but vowed to stay with the people to bear all the inconveniences until the security situation in the state improves.
The people of the state again trusted the governor and adjusted to the new inconveniences and had to make do with traveling to Sokoto and Funtua and later Zaria in Katsina and Kaduna states to make calls, send messages, and other financial transactions.
But alas, the governor extended the period of the ban, send his wife to America to deliver, his children overseas, and later took cover with UNGA and left to the United States as an uninvited guest, he is still there until this moment.
But immediately the ban became effective and communication became difficult, the governor who is said to be interested in keeping an eye on his numerous concerns outside the state could not bear it and ran away from the state to Abuja and later out of the country.
For a measure that the people of the state were compelled to pass through, the governor could not even restrain his family members from travelling outside the state and the country as his wife soon followed him to jet out of the country.
With this kind of deceitful leadership, it is pertinent to ask, who will trust Matawalle again with any responsible position?
Matawalle has become the person in the popular joke who it was said that any time he tells you 'good morning,' you need to check your time to be sure it is not midnight.
It is shameful that Zamfara which prides itself as a center of piety can be bogged with such indecorous leadership.
Allah shi sawake!
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