Barely 48 hours after Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, commended three governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for solidarising with victims of a fire disaster in Gusau, the state capital, with a N50 million cash donation; he has received another delegation of Governors, this time on the platform of his own Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he criticised for not showing concern.
Just like they doubled the visiting delegation, the PDP governors doubled the donation of the APC governors, leaving behind N100 million for victims of the fire disaster.
Not one to beat about the bush, the governor of Rivers state, Nyeson Wike took a swipe at APC. His words, “I can’t understand a party which declared Zamfara a no-fly zone is coming to woo the governor. Zamfara people should shine their eyes because God who gave Matawalle governor has not abandoned him.
Quoting Wike further, a statement by Marawalle’s spokesma, Mr. Yusuf Idris Gusau said, “Do not lose sleep in Zamfara, we shall overcome, the governor met the problem of insecurity and is not as if it started when he became governor, so, nobody can come and use insecurity to intimidate the governor or any other governor,”
Describing the APC’s N50 million donation as a Greek gift, Wike urged Matawalle not to receive the opposition again.
Led by the PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state, the states chief executives consoled the government and people of Zamfara State especially the victims of the recent Tudun Wada Gusau Market fire which destroyed over 60 shops.
Tambuwal described the inferno as a decree from Allah which had to take place at the time it occured.
He disclosed that the visit was arranged since the tragedy occured but that circumstances did not allow them to come.
Tambuwal said, as PDP governors, they were home as owners of the state to commiserate over the incident cautioning that the incident should not be politicized.
He noted that when people of the state were being killed under the previous government, they did not play politics with the situation and that as genuine friends and brothers who will stand by Matawalle come rain or shine, they have genuinely come to share in the grief caused by the fire on the traders in particular and people of the state.
He promised to continue to work with their Matawalle at all times.
Recall that the APC governors led by the Chairman of the APC Governors Forum and governor of Kebbi state, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Bagudu in company with the National Chairman of the party were in the state for a similar visit.
Responding, Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle expressed happiness with the visit by the PDP governors which he also described as timely following the Gusau market incident.
Matawalle noted how close he is with Aminu Tambuwal with whom he has a long history dating back to their times at the House of Representatives.
He said a crying child abandoned by his mother is likely to take food from a street beggar, “so, they said sorry, l accept,” Matawalle said.
The other visiting governors include, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Darius Ishaku of Taraba and Ahmad Umar Fintiri of Adamawa.
The event was attended by the former Deputy Governor, Hon. Muktar Ahmad Anka; former Speaker, Hon. Abdullahi Bature Umar Sambo; Deputy Speaker Zamfara State House of Assembly, Hon. Musa Bawa Musa Yankuzo; Secretary to the state government, Alhaji Bala Bello Maru; Head of Service, Alhaji Kabiru Balarabe; Chief of Staff Government House, Col Bala Mande rtd; Deputy Chief of Staff, Dr. Bashir Mohammed Maru, Commissioners, party chieftains and senior government officials.