The video making the rounds on social media where Zamfara State governor, Dauda Lawal spoke on his administration’s fight against armed banditry and how it is handling issues of victims, is to say the least, the highest level of insincere leader to the led.
The governor must be preparing to celebrate his second year anniversary with a failed promise which he made during his governorship campaigns ahead of the 2023 elections that he will eliminate armed banditry in the state within the first two months into the administration and now, it’s getting into the third year with the case is worsening.
All readers of our complaints as opposition party in the state just like the complaints coming from other committed citizens of the state have been that the Zamfara State government under governor Dauda Lawal has done almost nothing to ameliorate the sufferings of its citizens under the clutches of bandits and other criminals.
To the governor, however, like he admitted in the said interview with some journalists, at the Gusau general hospital, the fight is still on, with a weakly voiced hope of success.
Unfortunately and sadly too, the governor who hardly showed any sympathy to bandits attack victims which expectedly supposed to have been directly by his personal self or at worst through powerful delegation to rekindle people’s hopes over the loss of either their loved ones, their property and other means of livelihood, will instead be going from one place to another in other states or countries enjoying life with friends and family members.
Then came the question of how his government handles victims of gunshot wounds and he has the audacity to tell Zamfara people in particular, Nigerians and the whole world that they received free treatment at the Yariman Bakura Specialist hospital and federal medical centre, Gusau in the state capital.
Even some few weeks ago, I was at Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital, Gusau where I saw victims of banditry attacks and the hospital refused to even admit them because they didn’t have money for medication which resulted to death and there was no any form of support coming from the government.
We expect the governor to give the records of those treated free of charge courtesy of his government and costs incurred with detailed information of the victims but none.
But he went further to say many of them were still receiving such treatments at the hospitals that the journalists could go and see for themselves.
We expect that the reporters might have visited the hospitals and came to a disturbing fabrication from the number one citizen of the state, additionally, we expected the journalists to press further as to ask what happens to victims located far away from the two healthcare facilities in the state capital even if they were to come from places as close as Tsafe local government.
The whole truth here is that the government of Mr. Dauda has never even known any victim of gunshots talk less of giving them free medicare, nor is any of them in any hospital awaiting government support.
We challenge him or the two healthcare facilities to published the names of those beneficiaries with details of their names, villages, local government and the dates of their incidents and the amount spent and the payment vouchers or receipts
The governor must apologise to the citizens and to Nigerians for not telling the truth, start being very sincere and willing in all ways in the fight against banditry and join hands with well meaning stakeholders in order to fully contain the menace as well as fully support victims in the most deserving way or keep his mum to avoid embarrassment.
It’s quite disappointing for a leader to deceive his people or to tell them what is not true just for his political gains outside the state.
He must know that Zamfara people are wise enough to understand his narratives of deceit and fabricated lies of political propaganda.
Press Released Signed By Yusuf Idris Gusau
APC Publicity Secretary
Zamfara State
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