The Zamfara APC Youth League has called on Governor Dauda Lawal to take heed of his predecessor’s achievements and adopt similar strategies to uplift Zamfara State.
In a press conference that features the the Forum’s Coordinator, Ubaidullah Yahaya Kaura, its Executives and members, the youth group urged Governor Lawal to prioritize the welfare of Zamfara’s citizens by building upon his predecessor’s foundations rather than dismantling them.
The group also urge the Governor to engage with stakeholders by recommiting to addressing pressing challenges, and work toward restoring Zamfara’s trajectory toward progress and prosperity.
Kindly Read The Press Statement Here:
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,
We welcome you to this press conference, where we will address pressing concerns regarding Zamfara State since the inauguration of the current Governor, Dauda Lawal. Since his tenure began, Zamfara has faced a troubling decline—sinking deeper into poverty, insecurity, and underdevelopment.
Zamfara State has never been in such a dire state. Although the Governor is always seen on national television claiming that he has transformed Zamfara, the reality is far from these assertions. Under his leadership, Zamfara has deteriorated markedly, in stark contrast to the solid foundation laid by his predecessor, Dr. Bello Matawalle.
The evidence is visible across the state. Health statistics reveal an alarming rise in mortality rates due to disease and poor maternal healthcare, with no substantial investment in education or infrastructure. There is growing unemployment at record levels. Our farms, which once used to thrive, are now lying abandoned, and the record harvests achieved in the last five years have become a thing of the past. Due to welfare concerns, staff in the healthcare sector in Zamfara State are threatening to go on strike.
Governor Lawal has dismantled much of the progress his predecessor made, particularly in security. Under Dr. Matawalle’s administration, security was tackled effectively with a balanced approach that combined both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches. It is on record that for nine consecutive months, there were no reported terrorist or bandit attacks in the State—this is a testament to his strategic collaboration with stakeholders and innovative strategies. It is regrettable, that under the current administration, insecurity has surged due to the Governor’s neglect of residents’ welfare and his unwillingness to apply effective security measures like his predecessor did.
Dauda Lawal has, unfortunately, distanced himself from Zamfara, governing from Abuja and displaying indifference to his responsibilities. We call upon him to return to the state and revisit the handover notes left by Dr. Bello Matawalle, the current Minister of State for Defence, who prioritized peace, development, and employment during his tenure.
It is an unfortunate situation residents of Zamfara State face today that due to the Governor’s highhandedness, ego and pride, he has refused to meet with stakeholders and engage necessary persons to ending criminality in the State. We want to use this medium to call on the Governor to embrace collaboration and do all that is necessary to tackle insecurity in the state, just as his predecessor successfully did.
We will want to use this opportunity to make further recommendations to Governor Dauda Lawal on how he can better manage Zamfara State, drawing from the successes of Dr. Bello Matawalle to lift the state from the current doldrums it has found itself.
As Governor of Zamfara State, Dr. Matawalle gave infrastructure development in the State priority. He showed that healthcare and education deserved the utmost attention both sectors deserved. He strategically built modernized hostels, schools and hospitals across the state to address shortages of health delivery and quality education. He knew and understood that by investing in these areas of the development of the State, he would be curing age-long menaces of underdevelopment in the State. It is on the record that Dr. Bello Matawalle, as Governor of Zamfara State ensured that there was a Primary Health Care Centre built and furnished with the necessary equipment in each of the 147 local government centres of the State.
We use this medium to call on Dauda Lawal to emulate the successes of his predecessor and continue to build more schools, employ more teachers, doctors and furnish these infrastructures with the needed equipment to ensure that they work to serve the people of Zamfara State.
Dauda Lawal must remember that his job is not to complain but to build on the successes of what has already been laid before him.
One significant achievement of the former Governor that we encourage Dauda Lawal to emulate is the institutionalization and driving of Social Investment Programmes in the State. Dr. Bello Matawalle was the first Governor of Zamfara State to establish a Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs in the State. This Ministry was highly instrumental in carrying out interventions across the state, ensuring that the poor and vulnerable did not suffer whenever the state faced any form of crisis. Under this Ministry, the Governor also established the Zamfara State Social Investment Programme that had tens of thousands of beneficiaries across the State. These social investment programmes helped to create jobs among youths and women providing them with capital to start small businesses.
Governor Dauda Lawal, who has unfortunately abandoned the welfare of citizens in the State is advised to pick this programme up from where his predecessor left it, bring it back to life and empower the citizens of the state who he has abandoned for his friends in Abuja.
One crucial intervention that Zamfara State indigenes, especially the farmers enjoyed during the reign of Dr. Bello Matawalle was the revival of the Zamfara State Comprehensive Agriculture Revolution Programme (ZACAREP) that he met on ground but rejuvenated to achieve its focus of revolutionizing agriculture in the State. Thousands of farmers in the State are on record to have benefited from the programme in one way or the other, whether it was by receiving seedlings, or fertilizer or equipment. Today this programme has been abandoned by the new Governor, and Zamfara State indigenes are suffering a food crisis because their Governor has abandoned programmes that worked for the people.
It is deeply unfortunate that the people of Zamfara must endure such hardship despite the unprecedented resources at Governor Dauda Lawal’s disposal. Today, Zamfara receives over ten times the revenue allocated during the tenure of his predecessor through the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC). With such substantial funds, one would expect a visible improvement in the lives of the state’s citizens with enhanced infrastructure, improved healthcare, job opportunities, and a strong push toward economic productivity.
Yet, instead of prioritizing initiatives that could alleviate poverty, create employment, and drive sustainable growth, Governor Lawal has chosen to channel resources into ill-conceived projects such as a cargo airport. While the potential benefits of an airport to promote trade and transportation cannot be dismissed, the timing and prioritization of this project shows a profound disconnect from the immediate needs of the people by the Governor. The citizens face daily struggles with unemployment, inadequate healthcare, and decaying educational facilities, while critical sectors remain underfunded and neglected.
Zamfara needs a committed leader who will address its pressing socio-economic challenges and focus on programs that directly impact the welfare of the people. Instead, Governor Lawal has adopted a wasteful approach, diverting funds toward “white elephant” projects that, at best, offer symbolic value but fail to address the core issues of poverty and underdevelopment. This disconnect from the realities of Zamfara’s citizens reflects his nonchalant attitude, worsened by his decision to govern primarily from Abuja rather than remain present to address the on-ground realities. The Governor’s focus should be on practical solutions that uplift Zamfara’s indigenes, restore hope, and lay the groundwork for lasting progress across the state.
As Governor of Zamfara State, Dr. Bello Matawalle built a modern and dignified Government House, not only for use of the Governor but with additional guest houses for state visitors, saving the government millions in hotel expenses. Matawalle’s commitment extended beyond the Government House: he also renovated the State House of Assembly, equipping it with state-of-the-art facilities.
If there is anything laughable about Dauda Lawal, it is the fact that he sits comfortably in the same palatial Government house built by Matawalle while shamelessly criticising Matawalle for doing nothing as Governor. In fact, Governor Dauda Lawal is a living irony. He is a man who lives off the achievements of his predecessor but still claims that this predecessor did nothing.
We cannot close this address without reflecting on Dr. Bello Matawalle’s exemplary character as a leader. Known as one of the most accessible governors in Northern Nigeria, Dr. Matawalle’s administration was marked by inclusivity and openness, whether dealing with district heads, commissioners, or ordinary citizens. This quality endeared him to the people and fostered unity across the state. We urge Governor Lawal to adopt a similar approach, bridging divides, and restoring harmony to Zamfara.