“I Abdulaziz Yari, Governor of Zamfara State, head of government, head of security, I am saying that the committee sent by Oshiomole to come and do the dirty job, which he resend again should never dare come to Zamfara State. And we are ready, including myself to be taken to graveyard tomorrow. If he know that his father, mother born him, he should send those people and see, and it’s fight to finish.”
Above is an excerpt of a press briefing by Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari in which the Governor unequivocally told Nigerians his position on the delicate situation in Zamfara state concerning APC’s nationwide primaries to select flag bearers for the upcoming 2019 elections.
When I made a terse statements earlier today expressing disappointed with Governor Yari for his discourteous and brazen response to the Zamfara logjam, I wasn’t aware the situation has degenerated to the embarrassing level Yari’s press briefing (quoted above) eerily made obvious. It’s quite unfortunate that Governor Yari allowed his emotions to take better control of his senses.
I’m truly concerned about Governor Yari’s reckless disregard to the prestige of his office and his honor. No matter the level of provocation, Yari should be more concerned about his yet to be exhausted responsibility as the administrative and political of Zamfara state from whom nothing less than the best behavior is expected. In few bursts of anger, Yari destroyed more than necessary from his political capital just to hit back at the APC’s national chairman, Chief Adams Oshiomole whom he believed have a hand in truncating his ambition to pave way for the installation of a successor he feels comfortable with.
The indecorous language in the press briefing exposed more than required for Nigerians to have a better idea of the blueprint on which Zamfara has been running for the last 3 years. This may help explain why Zamfara state is the mess it is today. In a way, it will explain why surmountable problems like meningitis are left for God to take care of in Zamfara state when similar problems are seen and dealt with for what they are. Yes, it will also explain why insecurity in the state has achieved an alarming proportion almost isolating the state in special cocoon of hopelessness.
By the way, let’s be glad that Governor Yari has silently recovered his responsibility as the “head of security” of Zamfara state even if for the purpose of intimidating political opponents and uncooperative party officials to make a way where there’s none. Few months ago he publicly resigned this responsibility for what he described as powerlessness of the powerful title to be effective. It’s cheering to see Governor Yari publicly flashing his identity card as the “Governor and head of security” of the state even if “security” is now a less cumbersome process of supervising the process of selecting cronies as flag bearers to fly the tickets of the APC and no longer the tasking business of protecting the state from deadly bandits.
Governor Yari has dragged in the mud not only the office of the Governor of Zamfara State but every other office of the same title, equal rank and responsibilities. He has lowered the esteem of his colleagues especially those he’s privileged to be leading in the Northern Governors Forum and, as a matter of urgency he should resign his position and apologize to Nigerians for exposing them to the hopelessness of our leadership selection processes which easily give unqualified people access to enormous powers that could easily destroy rather than construct when applied wrongly.
Finnally, Governor Yari made dangerous threats that shouldn’t be taken lightly. He said: “Sai dai duk abinda zai faru ya faru”. I’m concerned! A threat like this from a governor is a serious reason for concern. I have no doubt Governor Yari have the capacity to set Zamfara on fire if he so wishes hence, this threat is a serious threat to national security and should be dealt with with equal seriousness. The people that are going to be used as tools for implementing Yari’s “duk abinda zai faru Sai dai ya faru” are the expendable poor citizens of the state who are already bearing the burden of Yari’s inadequacies. None of the people Governor Yari is planning to impose on Zamfara will feature in this war.
Written by : – Maiwada Dammallam
