Just in: Northern governor offers to resign, gives reason
- Governor Matawalle of Zamfara has expressed his readiness to resign his position as the state's number one citizen
- The governor said he is ready to step down if that will restore security in the troubled northwestern state
- Matawalle also said he is not intimidated by the FG's declaration of No-Fly Zone’ on Zamfara just as he argued that the same should be extended to some other states
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Bello Matawalle, the governor of Zamfara state, has said he is willing to resign if such action will bring a lasting solution to the high level of insecurity in his state.
The governor said this on Wednesday evening, March 3, when he appeared as a guest of Channels TV.
Asked if he is intimidated by the federal government’s declaration of a ‘No-Fly Zone’ in Zamfara, Governor Matawalle said he is ready to accept any solution that will bring peace to his state.
Source: Facebook
His words:
“I am ready to accept any solution that will bring security to my state.
“I am not intimidated. If I know that my resigning as a governor will make the people sleep with their two eyes closed, I can resign.
"I am ready to do what will bring security. I am not power-hungry. I have been having a sleepless night to protect the people of Zamfara state.”
Nevertheless, Governor Matawalle noted that while he has no grievance regarding the ‘No-Fly Zone’ order, he was disappointed that the National Security Council did not consult him before making the declaration.
He also explained that the ‘No-Fly Zone’ order is not the same as declaring a state of emergency.
The Zamfara state governor equally argued that the flight ban was supposed to have been extended to some other states seeing that the security challenges faced in Zamfara were also affecting many states in the northern part of the country.
The Nigerian government had imposed a 'No-Fly Zone' in Zamfara as part of efforts to tackle the security challenges in the state.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, disclosed this on Tuesday, March 2, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari has banned mining activities in Zamfara to stop the rising insecurity.
He said the president has also ordered the ministry of defence to deploy the massive military and intelligence assets to restore normalcy in the state.
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Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the federal government's declaration.
The opposition party in a statement on Wednesday, March 3, claimed that the 'No-Fly Zone' policy is a plot by the APC-led federal government to take over Zamfara state which is under the control of the PDP.
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Nurudeen Lawal is a Legit.ng journalist passionate about fact-checking/verification journalism. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature-in-English from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. As Politics Editor, Nurudeen mostly writes on Nigeria’s political and socio-economic developments. He has attended different workshops, conferences and training on fact-checking and digital reporting, among others. Learn more about him on Twitter, @Nurudeen Lawal_
Source: Legit.ng
