A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has condemned in the strongest terms, the recent warning by the Minister of Defence (State), Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, to the former Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. (Barr.) Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for attempting to salvage Nigeria’s fledgling democracy.
On the contrary, Chief Eze advised that rather than resorting to mindless and aimless warning and intimidation, Matawalle should focus on fighting the hydra-headed security challenges bedeviling the country as well proffer solutions on ways to address the present maladministration in Nigeria.
Eze, formerly the National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), said it was sad, demeaning and unfortunate for the Minister of State for Defence, to be busy issuing unwarranted warning to Barr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, because he commented on the present state of governance in the country.
“We beg Matawalle to do well for the President Bola Tinubu administration, by concentrating on how to help checkmate the menace of insecurity ravaging our nation under his watch rather than his arm-chair intimidation”, he said.
Chief Eze was reacting to the recent charade issued out by Matawalle, wherein he warned the former Rivers State Governor to stop inciting Nigerians against President Tinubu.
Speaking at a recent conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, organised by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy, and Development in Abuja, Amaechi had declared that Nigerian politicians must “steal, maim, and kill” to remain in power.
He noted that Nigerians’ lack of collective action and willingness to defend their votes is the reason politicians continue to misbehave.
According to the former Governor of Rivers State, Nigerians are not ready to make any sacrifice, not even to defend their votes.
Amaechi said, “That’s why politicians get away with everything.”
Amaechi also lambasted Nigerian leaders, particularly President Tinubu, stating that those who expect him to easily give up power in 2027 are “wasting their time.”
According to Eze, “these wise words provided an in-road on what this present administration should do to provide good democratic governance was misconstrued by Matawalle to mean that Amaechi is inciting Nigerians against Tinubu.
In a statement issued in Port-Harcourt on Saturday, Chief Eze, a close ally of Barr. Amaechi, asked Matawalle to stop playing politics with the blood of Nigerians being spilled daily as a result of nagging insecurity, and accept candid and impactful opinion. on how best to deliver Nigerians from the shackles of bad democratic governance.
In a democratic political system, citizens have the fundamental rights to freely add their voices to a national discourse towards purposeful and people oriented governance. So, attempting to stifle dissent voices through beer parlour warning, carefully choreographed to intimidate citizens is to say the least, most reprehensive and insensitive of Matawalle.
“Any political system that cages her citizens from expressing their opinions, engage in debates, and see policies implemented for the country’s advancement is doomed.
“The way the present leaders of APC and her government are attempting to reducing Nigeria to an inglorious and regrettable political system will be highly resisted as that was not part of our dreams and vision towards formation of APC in the first place, Eze stated.
At this point, Eze reminded the likes of Matawalle, about the origin of the APC, stressing that “If not for the political ingenuity, sagacity, vision, and determination of Amaechi and few other progressives, there would not have been anything called the APC.
“It is the height of insensitivity and sycophancy for Matawalle, who never knew how the APC was midwifed, to stand today to hurl invectives and warning on masterminds of the emergence of APC, through which he is appointed a Minister today.
“Matawalle is one of those opportunists and middle-of-the-road political traders who do not know how APC came to be, but today enjoying the fruits of the likes of Amaechi, who sacrificed their lives for the formation of APC.
“It is sad that Tinubu is keeping people like Matawalle in his administration, who have no idea of the nature of duties of a Defence Minister, thereby allowing insecurity to continue to pervade every nook and cranny of Nigeria and Nigerians, Chief Eze stated.
The APC Chieftain noted that under Matawalle’s watch, the country’s soldiers are being mowed down in droves talk less of Nigerians that no longer sleep with their two eyes closed as a result of terrorism, kidnapping, and other clandestine atrocious acts going on in the country.
Eze reminded Matawalle that presently, there is high wave of armed banditry and kidnapping in his home State of Zamfara, just like other parts of North Western Nigeria, which requires his intervention as Defence Minister.
The APC Chieftain said it is on record that the activities of these hoodlums, which started like a mustard seed in Zamfara state grew to an alarming and unprecedented proportion during the period between 2019 and 2023, when Hon. Bello Matawalle, was the Governor of Zamfara State.
The statement states that armed banditry and kidnapping have rendered thousands of the people of Zamfara orphans, widows, widowers, homeless, hungry, etc due to the activities of criminals who maim people, extort their monies, kill their loved ones and subject them to all manner of physical and emotional torture, during the administration of Matawalle, and he couldn’t salvage the situation.
“It will be recalled that during an interview of Governor Dauda Lawal on TVC Television on 18th September 2024, the Governor publicly accused Hon. Bello Matawalle of involvement with kidnappers and bandits in Zamfara state.
“Also, in an online publication of 22nd September 2024, one Umoru Faruk Salifu in the 21st Century Chronicles online newspaper, had accused Matawalle of sponsoring bandits, buying vehicles for bandits, sabotaging efforts of law enforcement agents to curb banditry and kidnapping in North Western Nigeria, granting amnesty to terrorists, etc.
“In an article by Professor Abdussamad Umar Jibia, he chronicled series of allegations of Hon. Bello Matawalle’s involvement with banditry and kidnappings in Zamfara State.
“According to the statement, people like Matawalle have the guts to talk in the public space because, despite these allegations as to their involvement with banditry and kidnapping in Zamfara state, no efforts have been made by government to investigate them with a view to coming out with the truth or falsity of these allegations while the spate of banditry and kidnapping continue to reign in Zamfara State to the detriment of citizens.
“In a civilized State, the likes of Matawalle should be behind the bars instead of having the boldness to be speaking against patriotic Nigerians in the public”, Eze pointed out.
