Top officials of Zamfara govt quit Matawalle’s cabinet (updated)

Sambo Marafa, younger brother of Kabir Marafa, ex-senator representing Zamfara central, has resigned his appointment as special adviser to Bello Matawalle, the state governor, on comprehensive agricultural revolution programme.

Sambo Marafa said he resigned so he could pay attention to his business.

Jamilu Zannah and Bilyaminu Shinkafi, commissioners for higher education and science and technology, respectively, also resigned their positions.

Their resignations come barely two weeks after they were inaugurated.

Speaking to journalists on Saturday in Gusau, the state capital, Zannah, who was Matawalle’s campaign director during the 2019 governorship election, hinged his resignation on “high-handedness” and lack of consultation on the part of the governor.

According to him, those who worked with him during the campaign were promised appointments but the governor has not fulfilled the pledge.

“His excellency, Alhaji Bello Matawalle has been doing things and running this government single-handedly since he assumed office as governor,” Zannah said.

“As his campaign director-general, I know we made several promises to many people that when we succeed, these promises will be met.

“However, of all the appointments so far made which include many directors-general, senior special assistants, special assistants, special advisers, permanent secretaries, commissioners and members of boards and committees, I am not aware of any that the governor consulted us on.

“I do not know how l can face all those people we made promises to when they see me going round as commissioner while the promises made to them remained unfulfilled.”

He also said Matawalle allegedly failed to check up on him during his 40-day medical trip to India.

But in a statement, Zailani Baffa, spokesman of the governor, accused those who left the cabinet of attempting to score cheap political points.

“It has come to the notice of His Excellency, Governor Bello Muhammad that one of his Commissioners and his former Campaign Director, Alhaji Jamilu Aliyu (Zan an Gusau) has declined his appointment,” the statement read.

“His decline was reportedly done via a press briefing held late on Friday, the 20th December, 2019, two weeks after the swearing in of all Commissioners and Special Advisers in which he was assigned the portfolio of the Ministry of Education.

“It is rather unfortunate that someone who claims closeness to His Excellency will resort to this unwholesome antic which is clearly a ploy to achieve a cheap and personal political goal.

“His Excellency would have vowed to a constructive and meaningful observations and reasons for any of his Commissioners to resign his appointment, but the paltry and shallow arguments of non-fulfilment of promises to the people and failure to mention them is nothing but a political joke.”

Dismissing the claim that Matawalle has not been consulting members of his cabinet, Baffa said: “It is unfortunate that personal and selfish considerations will becloud the vision of trusted confidants at a time when all hands must be on deck to begin a new era in the history of Zamfara State”.