Zamfara: Tinubu asks Yerima to mediate in Dauda-Matawalle dispute

• FG can solve banditry with dialogue, former gov insists

By Egena Sunday Ode

President Bola Tinubu has asked former Governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Yerima, to mediate in the lingering political dispute between former Governor Bello Matawalle and the incumbent, Lawal Dauda in order to put the matter to rest.
This was as Yerima who presided over the affairs of Zamfara between 1999 and 2007 restated his position that dialogue remained the best option to tackle banditry.
Yerima disclosed this to newsmen on Monday after meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He stated that President Tinubu had requested his assistance in resolving the issues, saying that he pledged to work towards achieving peace in the state.
“You see, the issue of Zamafara, like you rightly said, I’m now a father in Zamfara. Even Mr. President in my interaction this afternoon has requested me to put my best to ensure that there’s stability in the state and that is what we are doing already.
“And by the grace of God we will come together and you will see that all the crisis that are going on will be over,” he said .
On banditry menace in the North West, Yerima reiterated that the Nigerian authorities possessed the capacity to confront these challenges decisively.
However, he emphasized the importance of avoiding collateral damage and drew a parallel with President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s successful negotiation with militants in the Niger Delta region.
Yerima suggested that poverty and ignorance were root causes of such conflicts and proposed rehabilitation programs as a means to integrate the bandits back into society.
He emphasized that negotiations were an integral part of governance and that they should be pursued before resorting to extensive military operations.
Drawing upon historical examples, he highlighted that even global conflicts, such as World War I and World War II, were ultimately resolved through negotiations.
He maintained that poverty and ignorance were prevalent among the bandits and advocated for their education, reintegration into society, and poverty alleviation to address the root causes of their actions.
In response to concerns raised about the plight of victims affected by bandit activities, Yerima clarified that he was proposing a solution for the overall Nigerian crisis, not advocating for the bandits.
He stressed the importance of giving Nigerians the opportunity to repent, be rehabilitated, and reintegrated into society.
He reiterated his confidence in the government’s capacity, with adequate resources and support, to address the security challenges if negotiations failed.
He said “ you see, these people are Nigerians. And I believe that Nigerian Government has capacity. The military, security, have the capacity to deal with them immediately if so directed, if they are given the resources, they require, the support and political will. but the collateral damage that could be associated with the actions that be taken, is what I believe should be avoided.
“If you send an aircraft now to where you identify the bandits, is not only the bandits that would be affected.
“And if you will recall, Mr. President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had similar interaction with the militants in Niger Delta, it was successful.
“So I believe that as Nigerians if they are called upon by governments, the major causes of this problem is poverty and ignorance.
“That you cannot find an educated human being properly educated human being who has something to do, to take his arm, a gun to go kill an innocent soul, just in the name of looking for food.
“These people are having very high level of poverty and ignorance. So if the government now comes up with a programme of rehabilitation just like they did in the issue of Boko Haram when the issue issue was handled. I’m sure you will have a successful ending of this crisis.