"MARAFA IS ONLY PLAYING POLITICS WITH LIVES OF ZAMFARA PEOPLE"....Salisu Isah

GOV YARI

With the increasing cases of insecurity across the country, especially involving herders, farmers and suspected militia groups with perceived support from supposed political actors, a clash of Titans might just explode in Zamfara state.



Outspoken Senator in the National Assembly, Kabiru Marafa, representing Zamfara Central Senatorial District, had, two days ago on the floor of the Hallowed Chambers made strong allegations, that, Governor Abdulaziz Yari and his deputy were responsible for the insecurity in Zamfara state.

Subsequently, in a swift reaction to Senator Marafa, one of the aides to the Zamfara state Governor, Alhaji Salisu Isah in a statement issued in Kaduna, promised to ensure that Senator Marafa's political career will be killed and buried permanently in 2019.

According to Isah, "Governor Yari has said Senator Marafa is only playing politics with security of lives of Zamfara people without contributing anything to end the challenges".

"Senator Marafa is seeking unnecessary relevance ahead of 2019 elections".

It will be recalled that, "Senator Marafa had yesterday, while contributing to Senate debate on insecurity in Nigeria, alleged that Governor Abdulaziz Yari and his deputy run criminal gangs who have been laying siege on the state, adding that the criminal gangs and militias had kidnapped some persons in his community".

Alhaji Salisu Isah, at the press conference in Kaduna today responded to the alarm raised by the Senator that if anything happened to him, Governor Yari should be held responsible".

"Yes, we are going to kill him politically, we are going to bury his political ambition in 2019. He wants to be governor; he is not going to get it. Even the Senate, he is not going to return", Isah said.

Salisu Isah, who was reading a prepared text, said; "the Senator displayed his fraudulent character and l made it a duty to respond to these reckless allegations with the view to among other reasons, let the world know the character of Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa and why he cannot be taken seriously".

"It is irresponsible and cheap blackmail for Senator Marafa to state that Governor Abdulaziz Yari and his Deputy, were responsible for the insecurity in Zamfara state".

According to him, this was because, "on his inauguration, Governor Yari had stated among his administration’s key priorities, is to address the menace of insecurity in the state; especially cattle rustling, kidnapping and armed banditry that has denied Zamfara people of sound sleep for many years".

"Shortly after assuming office, Governor Yari paid several visits to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces as well as Military Service Chiefs, to appeal for the federal government's assistance to tackle the menace of insecurity occasioned by cattle rustling, armed banditry and criminality in the state".

"This is to underscore the commitment of the Governor towards ending insecurity and criminality in Zamfara State as against what Senator Marafa alleged".

"There is no record anywhere to indicate the contributions of the Senator towards addressing the problem. What is in public domain is the Senator’s politicking and noise making to seek undue relevance and hypocritical display of fake loyalty to President Buhari", he said.

"The Senator should not be taken seriously because the allegations he raised are baseless, mischievous and unfounded", Isah stressed.

"Instead of Senator Marafa to look for ways to assist the state government, he is busy making noise and seeking undue relevance", the governor's aide retorted.

"The question one should ask is, what is the contribution of Marafa towards solving the insecurity problems in Zamfara State if he claims to be concerned as a Senator representing the people of Zamfara Central Senatorial Zone?".

Isah, while responding to issues bordering on the Governor’s efforts, said; “Apart from the federal government intervention, Governor Yari sought self-help by mobilizing local vigilante to confront the security challenges in the state".

"His Excellency, Governor Abdulaziz Yari went out of his way to reach a peace agreement with the leaders of these known criminal gangs, all in an effort to ensure government guarantees security of lives and property in Zamfara state".