Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, on Tuesday, insisted that President Bola Tinubu has not been unfair to the North in appointments, pointing out that the President filled key security positions with northerners.
The Minister, who spoke in Sokoto on Tuesday, during a visit to the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji at 8 Division Headquarters of the Nigerian Army, Sokoto, said this decision is because President Tinubu understands the security situation in the North, particularly the North-West, and he wants a solution.
Matawalle, who was accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, said the visit was on the instructions of the President, who called from China and directed them to proceed to Sokoto to speak with the troops.
The Minister said, “We are here in Sokoto State on the instructions of President Tinubu, who directed the Defence Ministry, with all its artillery, to come to Sokoto and review the operations, especially that of ‘Operations Hadarin Daji’.
“Nigeria is not a Banana Republic; Nigeria is a country that the Constitution governs. And you all know Mr. President knows the problem of the North; and that is why he appointed his security team from the North, including myself and the Minister.
“He gave us this responsibility because he knows our major problem is security. The President carefully selected northerners and appointed them to key positions. Look at me; I am from Zamfara State, and the Chief of Defence is from Kaduna State. The Minister of Defence, Badaru, is from Jigawa State; the National Security Adviser is from Adamawa State, while the Minister of State for Police Affairs is also from the North.
“So, he carefully selected us, because he knows our problem is insecurity. So we are here to flush out those bandits that have been terrorising our region”, he stressed.
Matawalle also addressed troops, encouraging them not to be distracted by the recent happening in the state, apparently referring to the killing of four soldiers and the burning of two armoured vehicles by the Bello Turji-led bandits.
The Minister also visited wounded soldiers injured in the line of action at the hospital, where he assured them that the Federal Government was with them during their trying times. He announced an N5m cash donation to be shared among the wounded soldiers.
