Mohammed Munirat Nasir, Gusau
Zamfara State governor, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle, on Sunday, allegedly snubbed the Zamfara State-born Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Faruk while the latter was on a courtesy visit.
The minister who was to present palliatives to the people of the state had earlier arrived on Saturday evening and was lodged at one of the VIP lodges at the Government House, Gusau for the night in preparation for today’s event.
The minister and her entourage were allegedly shunned as they waited for many hours at the Government House for Matawalle or his representatives to receive her on a courtesy visit.
Angered by the lukewarm attitude of the state government towards her, the minister and her entourage allegedly left the Government House, Gusau and headed for the 207 Quick Response Unit of the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) Gusau and took off to Abuja abandoning and refusing to talk to journalists who were gathered to cover the event that brought her to Zamfara State.
When the minister, Sadiya Umar Faruk left, many guests and beneficiaries of the palliatives she was to distribute were left stranded at the distribution centres in Gusau and Bungudu local government areas.
A staff of the state government described the action of Governor Matawalle as the best because of what he alleged as the nonchalant attitude of the Zamfara State-born minister.
“Imagine, a minister who is from this state since her appointment has not deem it important to do anything for the state despite all these problems in the state in the last one year,” he said.