From Salisu Zakari Maradun, Gusau
Community leaders in Zamfara have continued to call on the Governor of the state, Alhaji Bello Matawallen Maradun, to ban the tradition of receiving anybody (including himself, the governor) whenever they travel outside the state.
One of them is a traditional title holder in the state, Alhaji Garba Dan Gusau who spoke five days after the accident that led to the death of over 25 people in the course of receiving the governor when he was coming home from Abuja.
He explained that since it is not official there is no reason whatsoever for anybody, including the governor to fold their arms and allow such tragedy to be happening which at the end of the day takes the lives of the people unnecessarily.
According to him politics have gone, what remain now is the development, how to improve the lives of the governed not to embark on a fanfare programme.
He further revealed that part of the duty of the government is to ensure improvement in the living condition of its people, particularly the youths, who constitute more than half of the total population of the state.
Speaking further, Dan Gusau stated that the recent loss of dozens of youths in the state was a great tragedy to the state and by extension to the entire nation.
“This tradition should have been stopped since long ago” added one, Isah Idris a trader in the state capital, adding that it is not in line with both shariah and culture which should be henceforth stop being recognized or accepted in the society.
Isah said as far as he is concerned and as far as he knows who matawalle is the whole arrangement was not known to him, he would have rejected it, had it come to his knowledge because similarly thing would have happened some few months ago, but he killed against it “so this time around they might have taken him unaware, I knew he would have rejected the idea even this time but as God wanted it, it happened.
