The Waste In Zamfara Amidst Poverty

By Adesina Soyooye

On Wednesday, April 6, 2022, the Governor of  poverty-stricken and terrorrism-engulfed Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, “dashed” 260 vehicles, including Cadillac  2019 Model to 17 Emirs, 13 Senior District  Heads and 230 District Heads.

No less a personality than the revered Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji  Sa’ad Abubakar 111, was invited to flag of the distribution ceremony.

The Governor said it was in appreciation of the Traditional Rulers roles in maintaining peace in the State.

He said: ” The role of Traditional Rulers in fostering national unity, safe-guarding our values, and serving as moral compass, for our society cannot be over – emphasized.

“As premier leaders in our communities, Traditional Rulers play key roles in resolving conflicts and in assisting the Government to provide fatherly advice to their subjects in the interest of promoting peace and harmony.

“As our leaders, we would stay steadfastly committed to providing for your welfare, safety and essential support  that will enable you to carry out your duties without incident and with bigger success.”

Hereunder,  Adeola Soeten, takes a look at the unprecedented gifts, and analyses its implications for the State, and what the money could have done for the people in an article titled:

Zamfara full of Blood and Royal Cadillac

By Adeola Soetan

Alhaji  Bello Muhammad Matawalle, Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State purchased Cadillac 2019 series for 260 Emirs and other traditional chiefs in his very poor state that’s under daily bombardment of terrorists with the death of hundreds of poor citizens murdered, maimed and displaced.

That model of Cadillac goes for an average of $95, 000; that’s around N40m each.

When you multiply N40m by 260 Emirs, you get N10.4bn.

Zamfara is home to the highest number of poor and vulnerable people in Nigeria, according to the National Social Registry, with a record of 3,836,484 from 825,337 households.

According to the United Nations, a person is considered to live in extreme poverty when they are living on less than $1.90 per day; that is N798 per day.

According to Rotimi Sankore, a data analyst, “Roughly 80 per cent of the people in Zamfara have no secondary school education.

This accounts for why bandits have a huge reservoir of recruits on which they continuously tap from”

Zamfara ranked 36th in WAEC ranking. In Zamfara, the doctor to patient ratio is one doctor to 14,000 patients.

Zamfara State is a disaster happening with unabated human carnage.

It’s under this terrible human social and economic conditions that Mattawale’s Zamfara State is wasting N10. 4bn on rich traditional rulers many of whom already have more than enough luxury vehicles in their garages.

If an average of N2m is spent to train and establish its poor population, at least more than 5,000 citizens will be empowered and removed from the street of joblessness and crime where the youths are easily recruited to terrorist groups.

Nigeria is truly an expanse looting field held hostage by its criminal ruling class.