Zamfara: A long road to recovery

Residents of Zamfara State are heaving a sigh of relief after a series of successes achieved by our gallant troops as well as the establishment of civilian task force which also contributed to a sharp reduction in mass killings and abductions in the state which has affected the lives of vulnerable villagers.  For now, security […]

Residents of Zamfara State are heaving a sigh of relief after a series of successes achieved by our gallant troops as well as the establishment of civilian task force which also contributed to a sharp reduction in mass killings and abductions in the state which has affected the lives of vulnerable villagers. 

For now, security in Zamfara has improved a great deal. More and more people are able to travel across the state with little fear of being kidnapped. Businesses are steadily getting back to normal as residents seize the relative normalcy to stock up on food, and basic necessities. The reality is our long road to recovery is not going to be easy. However, rebuilding Zamfara and helping the people get back to their feet would need the involvement of international donor agencies, the federal government, Zamfara State Government, and the good citizens of Zamfara. 

The fact that the humanitarian crisis in Zamfara has been overshadowed by the massive concentration of NGOs in Maiduguri due to the fact that people suffering from Boko Haram have attracted more global sympathy than the war being waged against us by armed groups, who are not designated as terrorist organizations by the global powers, yet the monstrosity of their inhumanity is not different from the designated terrorists. That aside, the humanitarian crisis in Zamfara is not as bad as Borno State. 

Governor Bello Matawalle has already assisted our people displaced by violence in Zamfara with food, cash handout and other necessities. The federal government has already done a lot by sending troops to secure Zamfara. 

However, we expect Buhari to pay more attention to our plight as Zamfara residents continue to pin hope on him to avert a serious humanitarian crisis in Zamfara. 

Bashir Aliyu Limanci writes from Anka, Zamfara State