Every politician and their political party go into all election wearing the mask of victory even where there are many who know from the word go that they stand no chance. This hope peddling has become part and percel of the business and although it helps to give the polity the semblance of choice, the truth is, the people, who are the numero unos of election always know where their mouth and money is.
In Zamfara, history is about to repeat itself in two fronts. First, it will appear the APC is all set to coast home to victory. This conclusion is on the weight of evidence ratified by the recent reconciliation of all the warring parties of APC which more or less stamps the party’s reemergence as the dominant force it has always been in the state. Clearly then, APC is just waiting to be ratified as winners come 2023 and this time, without the uncertainties of litigation buckling it down. Secondly, the opposition appears to have taken over the seat of litigation left by APC in 2019. The difference here is that, whereas APC in 2019 had the clout and support to win the election, PDP in Zamfara today and I’m sure in 2023 fits the description of a pretender waiting to count its losses.
In truth, no one will want to jojo with PDP in Zamfara when even the sitting governor dumped it because of the inherent vulnerabilities in the party that threatened to derail his desire to improve the well-being of the people of Zamfara through targeted programmes in key sectors like education, healthcare, agriculture and most importantly, security etc.
Without mincing words, the people of Zamfara have never had it this good. For the first time, the landlords of the state have been kept at bay as they claw on straws endlessly. Meanwhile, Governor Bello Matawallen Maradun has been going about his turnaround programmes in every sector quietly and diligently.
Not one to boast about the job he has sworn an oat to do on behalf of the people, that’s why for instance, it took a false report from a dodgy Advocacy group for the government to itemise the many inroads it has made into healthcare delivery in the state starting from the complete overhaul of the Sani Yariman Bakura specialist hospital in Gusau, to the construction of a PHC in every polling word as well maternal care hosptals in strategic location and not forgetting the procurement of vehicles and tricycles for ambulance services in cities and Hard to Reach locations respectively.
The same evidence based response was dished out to PDP recently when it flew the kite of falsehood on the state of education in the Zamfara. It was within governor Matawalle first one hundred days in office that he released over three Billion Naira as matching grant for the UBEC counterparts funds that have been lying dormant. It goes without saying that these funds have gone into the repositioning of Universal Basic Education in Zamfara state.
In addition to the the complete makeover of signature schools like Muallayadi Day school Maradun and Scienc School Shinkafi amongst several others that have been marked for overhaul under the state government’s Whole School Programme, over 1000 units of classrooms have been constructed, together with administrative blocks and student convenience. Tertiary education has also received a boost. Various sums in billions have been earmarked for much needed development and emoluments in the states tertiary institutions starting from Zamfara State University Talata Mafara to other state owned tertiary institutions. That’s not all. The Government has expended millions of naira to sponsor (200) state indigenes to Cyprus, India and Sudan all to study engineering, medicine, nursing and other science related courses.
In the security front, no Governor has done as much as Matawalle to support troops and provide direction in the war against bandit terrorists. These are criminal elements who grew into monsters with the aide of gold mining landlords who. These merchants of death are now been matched every step of the way by gallant Nigerian troops as well as volunteers and it’s only a matter of time before the people of Zamfara reclaim their land.
It is however in the area of human resources that governor Bello Matawalle has scored the highest marks. This is because, state workers are the blood that will drive all his programmes. And it is against this background, that he approved the implementation of all promotion of the state civil servants, while also making sure that salaries are paid as at when due.
PDP will do well to stay within the ambience of its internal party confusion. If it wants to engage with the people of Zamfara, it should do so only on the basis of facts not blatant lies. One would have thought by now, that the party will have a clear plan of action. And where it is now plugging its emptiness with lies, it ought to have been telling people the real efforts of the APC in several sectors while also presenting their own plans, especially how it will do things differently.
Unfortunately, they are busy presenting fake stories where they should have been engaging with issues. Well, it could be possible that even the PDP flagbearer can’t say with conviction that he will have control over anything should they somehow emerge victorious. That’s why these people should get serious and stop playing with the emotions of our people. Zamfara is not in a position for such gambles. Our people have seen a lot lately and adding the uncertainties of a party that prefers to engage in dirty infighting and peddling of lies to their problems amounts to the heights of insensitivity.
I reckon it will be in the interest of the PDP to stop messing about with the intelligence of the people. Dauda Lawal, the PDP flagbearer will do well to stay focused on leading the charade they are putting across as campaign and simply wait out his battles with the disgraced former deputy governor or roll up to election day sure of losing. The choice is his!
Najeeb writes from Kaduna
