As Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State celebrates one year in office, the Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Zamfara Initiative for Good Governance has demanded the publication of federal allocations and internally generated revenue to ensure credibility and transparency.
The CSO in a statement signed by its Chairman Hon. Lawal Usman Mohammed alleged Governor Dauda did not fulfil his promise to the people of the state, especially in the areas of security, agriculture, health, youth and women empowerment.
“Governor Lawal is overwhelmed by the burden of leadership and adopts a trial-and-error style of governance that has caused enormous hardship for the people and wasted scarce resources.
“During his campaign for governor, Lawal promised to provide security in the state within his 100 days in office, one year after Zamfara State is under siege of armed bandits who daily terrorise the 14 Local Government Areas of the State including Gusau, the state capital kidnapping people for ransom, killings, cattle rustling, rape, imposition of levies and taxes before farmers could cultivate their lands, displacement of citizens from their communities and destruction of property”, the CAO said.
They further noted that the number of people kidnapped, killed and displaced from their ancestral homes in one year surpasses those affected in the past 12 years of banditry in Zamfara State.
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“The fight against banditry is carried out with a kid’s glove as the governor could not fund and equip the Community Protection Guards he inaugurated few months ago rendering them redundant, just as adequate logistics is not provided to security agencies in the state to crush these criminal elements in synergy with the Federal Government.
“Sadly, Zamfara State has become the headquarters of bandits resulting to hunger and poverty as the people cannot access their farmlands and carry out commercial activities.
“This negates Section 14(2)b of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, which provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”, the statement said.
The CSO therefore, urged the Lawal to sit up and take governance seriously as he is not only accountable to the people, but also accountable to God.
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“The reign of terror in the state must stop. The good people of Zamfara State desire and deserve a new lease of life, security, prosperity and development.
“As a pro-democracy group in the quest for good governance, transparency and accountability by elected public officers in Zamfara State, we demand publication of the Federal allocation and Local Government funds received in one year by the Dauda Lawal’s government.
“This will promote integrity, accountability, honesty, transparency and confidence in running the affairs of the State for the good of the people. As patriotic citizens, we must hold elected public officers accountable as power resides in the people”, the statement added.
