Core Northern professional forum (CNPF) has upbraided Senator Kabiru Marafa over his scathing attacks on the Defence Minister, Mr Bello Matawalle for standing solidly behind the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration.
CNPF President General, Malam Mikailu Kabiru Arabi in a statement insisted that the tantrum by the Marafa backed NEF was not a true reflection of the position of the generality of the people of the north irrespective of their religious and ethnic leanings
The group remarked that the recent outburst by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle against the NEF was a step in the right direction.
The group noted that Marafa conduct fell short of what is expected of a northern elder that should be in support of President Tinubu effort in tackling the challenges of insecurity, education, agriculture and unemployment in the polity.
The group reiterated their resolve to throw their weights behind President Tinubu in the event he wants to seek a second term in office in the 2027 poll.
The group noted: “The Minister’s remarks were never challenged which further demonstrated endorsement from us until one of them in the person of former senator Kabiru Marafa who lost in securing any political appointment and is not happy that back in his home state of Zamfara, he is fast losing political relevance that he wants to as usual use the NEF platform against the Minister.
“These elders should know that we have come of age and are wiser over their conness that they can no longer be dragging or pushing us the way they want.
“After all, the NEF is a voluntary association crowded by persons who use the same notes for their own personal benefits without regard to other elders in the region who might even bring better ideas, yet we tolerated them all the while.
“We wish to encourage the Minister to be steadfast in running his office especially in the fight against insecurity, if anyone wants progress to the north, let them join hands with the government by giving useful workable solution to our predicament so that we will know we have elders who did not depart from what and how our founding fathers wished the north, the northerners and the early beneficiaries now turned elders to be.
“It is just that many of us don’t want to be dirty owing to our background, needless to remind Nigerians that when he was in the Senate, due to his callousness, Marafa once shouted that if Senator Adamu Aliero should die, he (Marafa) would marry Aliero’s wife, and a person with such irresponsibility will want to call himself an elder in the northern region as if we don’t know what we are doing.
“He attacks anyone without restrictions including those who brought him to political limelight such as former governor of Zamfara Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi under whom he served as commissioner, even the two other former governors, Senator Ahmed Yarima and Senator Abdulaziz Yari both of whom have a hand in bringing Marafa to national politics in 2011 were not spared.
“His selfishness grows into an unstoppable anger once he fails to get what he wants, and this is what is happening after he lost his Senate bid in the 2023 elections and made frantic efforts to attract Tinubu’s compensation either as Minister or ambassador which did not come his way and making him nurse the feeling that Matawalle is blocking his chances.
“Marafa has refused to understand the dynamics of the Nigerian politics and is still living in the 2019 and moving backwards in the years politics when he would make noise and people listened, the nation has since advanced and it will be a serious waste of time and setback for Matawalle as Minister to join issues with the likes of Marafa at a time he needs to concentrate on meeting the yearnings of Nigerians to see the end of insecurity especially armed banditry and kidnapping which have continued to be on the front burner of the Tinubu led administration and being appreciated by the larger Nigerians.
“Matawalle’s exceptional experience in the fight against criminal elements and their activities is strongly helping the Tinubu government and as Nigerians, we will continue to support the administration until peace is achieved.”
