Today, there is no doubt that religious pulpits have been taken over by political commentary, as religious leaders are becoming even more vociferous in their blatant attack of political leaders. Ordinarily, this should be a welcome development because in the end, religious sermons are usually authored to reflect the position of the scriptures on trending issues. However, such issues must be seen to be based on facts as against concocted imaginations.
Unfortunately, Nigerian clerics, especially some Ulamas of the North appear to be no longer interested in operating within the boundaries of their calling. This appears to be the case when a popular cleric recently mounted the pulpit to sell his followers what could only have emanated from the fertile grounds of his clouded imaginations. According to the cleric, Governor Bello Matawalle recently left Zamfara ungoverned, in this time of banditry to travel all the way to Niger Republic just to watch the traditional Hausa boxing popularly referred to as Dambe.
It is disappointing that even the clergy can stoop so low as to start meddling in the bitter political game of unconscionable lies and deliberate deflection. This is even more painful when one considers that everything about the reasons behind the trip to Niamey, from the meeting with President Mohamed Bazoum to Governor Matawalle’s debriefing of President Muhammadu Bubari was reported in the news. However, since some people have decided to bury their heads in the sand to play the ostrich, this writer has taken it upon hiself to set the records straight. I want to start by confirming that there was indeed some boxing in the theme of the trip, but never the fisticuff kind. It was purely diplomatic boxing and here’s how the bout was fought.
On January 2, Governor Bello Mohammed, along with his Jigawa and Kebbi State counterparts, Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and a representative of Governor Atiku Bagudu, arrived the Nigerien Capital, Niamey. The purpose of the visit was to enter into a cross-border collaboration with the government and people of Niger Republic in the fight against bandit-terrorists and other non-state actors who operate in the Nigerian side bordering Maradi, but not only secure their supplies of dangerous weapons and other logistics through the Maradi channel, but also escape across the border to Niger when under offensive from Nigerian security operatives.
On arrival at Niamey, the Nigerian delegation immediately went into a high level meeting with top security and administrative officials of Niger Republic. The Nigerian delegation met President Bazoum of Niger Republic the next day for upwards of four hours where issues central to the policing of the Nigerian-Niger border were further discussed and at length.
Top on the agenda was the need to shut down any and all supply routes to the bandits whom it is believed source logistics and other services denied them in Nigeria from unsuspecting Nigeriens. So many other issues of mutual concern were also thrashed at the meeting. It was at this meeting that Governor Matawalle presented the document for action which details the intervention that the states bordering Niger Republic expected from the pact.
A special meeting was later organised for the visiting governors with all the chancellors and security chiefs of that country where the challenges that need to be addressed were divulged. The target of this meeting which lasted several hours is to enrich the blue-print for the comprehensive fight against the syndicate of arms trafficking and other supplies to bandits.
One of the biggest takeaways from that journey is that, the Nigeriens, with support from their Nigerian counterparts have agreed to scale up border patrols in the affected areas. This joint operation is aimed at ensuring that bandit-terrorists and other criminals are blocked from escaping Nigeria through Niger, but most especially, to shut down their supply routes for both weapons and supplies. With Niger no longer accessible to bandits, the Nigerian side can increase its offensive against the criminals’ safe havens in the knowledge that they won’t find sanctuary through the Maradi channel.
In his remarks which were widely broadcast, President Bozoum, assured the Nigerian governors of his country’s concern over Nigeria’s plight and that he is aware of the role his country can and will play in the fight against these terrorists, especially with respect to the transit of illegal weapons Into Nigeria. He said that his country will continue to support Nigeria in its effort to find lasting peace especially from the menace of banditry and insurgency.
It is therefore, shocking that people, no less, clerics will seek to deflect from the real importance of that strategic visit which had presidential blessings, as a sight-seeing venture. President Buhari has since debriefed Governor Bello Matawalle in his capacity as a special envoy to Niger and the diplomatic gains of that visit have been recorded for all time.
Let it be known that the people of Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina and Jigawa all bordering the Maradi channel will soon begin to reap the fruits of that visit. What is most surprising to some of us is that it took this long for the governors to take this step.
A model of such engagements is already in force. The Multi-National Joint Task Force in Ndjamena for instance is the result of such bilateral arrangements. Many other cross-border collaborations have been entered into by Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram and there’s no gainsaying how important such game-changing engagements could be to the fight against bandits.
This is why instead of politicising that visit with the sole aim of downplaying it’s importance, the people of Zamfara should appreciate the foresight of Governor Bello Matawalle. It is my belief that this arrangement has the potential to contribute immensely to the war against banditry/terrorism in Zamfara and adjoining states.
Let this ring in the ears of those who are playing politics with virtually everything including the security of lives and property of Zamfara people that no amount of smear campaign will make Matawalle derail from securing the good citizens of the state.
Kamaruddeen writes from Gusau, Zamfara State.
