The head of the Association of Urhobo Family Mayoral Crown, UFMC, Eshanekpe Israel a.k.a Akpodoro, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his recent sack of some ministers deemed to be non performing and appointment of others while leaving the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle who he described as “one of the most performing and active ministers” in the current administration.
In a statement on Friday, Akpodoro said Matawalle was retained in a bid to sustain the war on criminal elements in the country, particularly the North and Eastern axis of Nigeria.
The elated Mayor made the remark in Abuja over the weekend, noting that the president is responsive to the yearnings of the members of the public saying the retention of Dr Matawalle in his cabinet proves to the fact that the President knows his onions and won’t allow some “cheap gossip” to mislead him into taking wrong decisions and erroneously sack the pillars of his administration.
He said the president reportedly dismissed barrage of ‘fabricated’ petitions against the immediate past Governor of Zamfara state having seen through the baseless lies and calculated attempts by orchera of deceits who went on overdrive to malign and scandalise Dr Matawalle who he described as one of the best ministers in the current administration.
The Mayor stated that those behind the political propaganda went too far to vainfully taint the integrity of the reticent Honourable Minister who he said is not given to flippancy or arrogance.
He said Matawalle’s successor, Governor Dauda Lawal, till now has not taken up the challenge thrown by the Minister to wit that he (Dauda) should swear to an oath with the Holy Quran just as Matawalle did to demonstrate his non complicity in the ongoing blood letting banditry in state.
He said the National Security Adviser to the President, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, did a painstaking good job in his investigation of the barrage of concocted accusations against the former governor.
He further called on the President through Mallam Ribadu to ensure that the leader of the Zamfara terrorists, Bello Turji and all his accomplices are brought to justice without further delay.
He added that Turji leads the terrorists wing of those he described as usurpers of political power in that political space.
He urged the Minister to sustain his efforts “gallantly without let or hindrance saying, the security agents will soon dismantle the criminal cell in the state he left in peace but unfortunately relapse into the stranglehold of criminal kingpins.
