Matawalle provides insights into the reasons behind the dominance of Northerners in President Tinubu’s security team, shedding light on regional considerations and expertise.
On Tuesday, Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence, emphasized that President Bola Tinubu had treated the North fairly in terms of appointments. He cited as evidence the appointment of northerners to significant security positions by the President.
Matawalle stated that Tinubu’s inclination towards finding a solution for the security predicament in the North, specifically in the North-West, is what led to this decision. This is because he possesses knowledge and comprehension of said circumstances.
During a visit to the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji at 8 Division Headquarters of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto, the minister addressed them on Tuesday.
Accompanied by Gen. Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, Matawalle stated that they were visiting on orders from the President who had phoned them while in China, instructing them to go to Sokoto and address the soldiers stationed there.
According to Matawalle, President Tinubu ordered the Ministry of Defence and all its weaponry to visit Sokoto State and assess the ongoing operations in Operations Hadarin Daji.
The North-West situation has caused concern for the President. He personally called both myself and the Chief of Defence Staff, who were in China at the time, instructing us to halt our current activities and promptly make our way to Sokoto.
According to him, we ought to oversee the ongoing operation of our troops in the North-West region led by Operation Hadarin Daji. This is necessary for us to inspect their progress and ensure that they have all required resources at disposal for combating criminals effectively.
The assertion is that Nigeria operates under a governing Constitution and should not be likened to Banana Republics. Furthermore, the President appointed individuals from Northern regions, including myself as part of his security team because he is aware of the issues facing that region.
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The President entrusted us with this duty due to our imminent security challenge. With a discerning eye, he designated individuals from the northern region for crucial roles. As an example, I hail from Zamfara State; meanwhile, the Chief of Defence hails from Kaduna State, and Jigawa’s own Badaru works as Minister of Defence – not forgetting that Adamawa’s representative serves as National Security Adviser while another northerner holds position as Minister of State for Police Affairs.”
“Thus, he picked us with great care since he is aware of our insecurity issue. Henceforth, our purpose is to eliminate the bandits who have been causing fear in our area.”
The minister provided words of encouragement to the troops, advising them not to lose focus due to recent events in the state. He seemed specifically alluding to the attack by Bello Turji’s gang resulting in four soldiers’ deaths and two armored vehicles burned down.
He said, “Despite the recent occurrences, do not lose heart. The GOC will receive significant backing. I encourage you to sustain your commendable efforts and know that we are present to assist in eliminating bandits and felons from this area.”
During his visit to the hospital, the minister personally met with soldiers who were wounded in action and provided assurance that they had the unwavering support of the federal government during this difficult period.
A cash donation of N5m was announced by him to be distributed among the wounded soldiers.
