From Salisu Zakari Maradun, Gusau After almost three decades of the creation of Zamfara state, it remains the only state in the federation without an airport of its own, but we thank God that the former governor of the state, Bello Matawallen Maradun has performed wonderfully in the project as almost 85% has been completed”, stated Alhaji Na Malam Ibrahim while speaking with our correspondent in an interview at his residence over the weekend.
He explained that has Bello won the 2023 gubernatorial election, the issue of the airport would have by now been a bye-gone issue as it was one of the projects he gave priority to, during his stay in office as the governor of the state.
According to him, the former governor, who is now a minister had during his stay in office as the chief executive, did all he could to making sure that the state has been sanitized in all ramifications and did not leave any stone unturned toward that, but time could not allow him to fulfill that ambition.
Ibrahim also disclosed that it is undisputable fact that the former governor recorded a lot of achivements in many areas during the four years he has been in office, especially in the areas of security and education, adding that “we all knew how he met the conditions of these two sectors. and what he did subsequently to address the problems. Therein in the area of security, he made sure that people went to their farms as peace already returned for a period of six to seven months from the day he took over the mantle of the leadership of the state and additionally, he again embarked on total renovation and reactivation of all the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions across the state as a result of which the number of school aged children enrolment increased due to the provision of a conducive atmosphere,” Ibrahim added.
The octogenarian who is in his 70s, explained further that as long as people, or rather leaders are turning issues, or mixing them with politics and selfishness, there is no how that particular state, or even a nation, can progress.
On the issue of present insecurity situation in the state, the politician said is something beyond his power. “on this one, there is nothing I can say but I can only advice if I would be listened to by the authorities concerned. One, they should join hands collectively with all the stakeholders in the state irrespective of political inclination to approach it with a view to finding a lasting solution, because if they continue to join this problem with politics it will not come to an end as each one of them will continue to accuse the other, and I believed this land of situation was what contributed in no small measure toward fuelling the fire of the calamity which entered into its 13th year burning in the state”.
Commenting further, Alhaji Abraham narrated that Zamfara which has become one of the most backward one in the federation in terms of everything needs those who will rid it of all the difficulties and calamities that bedeviled it, which according to him, has not seen any sign of remedy from especially the present leaders. “I think we should even be grateful to God for making one of the sons of the soil as one of the members of the federal executive council and additionally, a defence minister for that matter, I think is a pride, why not join hands with him in order to get this calamity down”, he asked, even as he expressed gladness over what the minister is doing in the entire region of stepping into the camps of bandits.
