The Zamfara State Government has accused Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Lt General Abdurrahman Dambazau of “buck passing and scapegoating.” The state government made assertion while slamming the minister’s comments on the security challenges in the northwest state.
Answering a reporter’s question on the persistent insecurity in Zamfara state, the minister at an International Press Institute Annual Conference Lecture held on Thursday June 21st 2018 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja claimed that the issue had nothing to do with banditry, but blamed poor governance instead.
But Mal Ibrahim Dosara,Special Adviser to the Excecutive Governor of Zamafara state (Public Enlightenment, Media and Communication) while reacting to the minister’s claim in a press statement, said the “state government expressed total disappointment and disbelief that, an army general would engage in buck passing and scapegoating at a time the people of Zamfara state are desperately looking for decisive action from the federal government.
According to Zamfara state government, it is totally misleading and insulting to the intelligence of Nigerians to blame a state governor for the failure of security when he has no power and control over the deployment of troops to fight the bandits and protect lives.
The statement challenges the minister to tell Nigerians why state governors in the Northeast, Kaduna and Benue states should be blamed for insecurity when the security personnel are not answerable to them.
The statement explained that blaming poor governance or the Governor of Zamfara state would not help matters, adding that dodging responsibility and blaming others for insecurity would not in any way reassure the victims that a solution is in sight.
The statement explained further that the Zamfara state government spends N600 million every month for the payment of allowances and logistical support to security agencies which are under federal control.
Elaborating on the expenditure, the Zamfara state government said it has so far spent over 15 billion naira in support of security agencies. This is in addition to 500 vehicles provided to the security agencies.
The statement therefore said rather than being blamed by the minister, the Zamfara state government should be commended for its immeasurable support to security agencies, and that the people of Zamfara state have every reason to expect results for these financial supports.
According to the statement, the minister should commend the Zamfara state government for using its meager financial resources to support the efforts to provide security for the people.
“ We are utterly surprised that the minister of interior should be blaming the victims of insecurity instead of making a case for Zamfara state for prompt and decisive action to defeat the armed bandits committing atrocities in the state”, the statement lamented.
“ We should also like to ask the minster why he didn’t blame poor governance for terrorists attacks in other northern states or why he thinks state governments should be blamed when they have no power to order troops deployment”, the statement added.
According to the statement, blaming the Zamfara state government by the minister is sheer blackmail, a diversionary ploy and an attempt to protect certain people from taking responsibility for their failure, adding that the Buhari administration should decisively hold the leadership of security organizations accountable instead of blaming the Zamfara state government, despite committing billions to help our federal security personnel.
The statement demands a public apology from the minister for blaming the Zamfara stete government for the failure or inaction by others, adding that at this point blame game wouldn’t help anybody.
It explained that it is totally unacceptable to blackmail the Zamfara state government and incite the people against it by making it a scapegoat for the persistent security challenges in the state.
