The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged Governor Dauda Lawal to publicly disclose the names of banditry victims who have received free medical treatment under his administration.
The APC, in a statement issued through its Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris, described the governor’s claims of offering free medical care to victims as unsubstantiated and misleading.
Governor Lawal had earlier stated that his administration’s commitment to combating banditry includes providing free medical support to those affected by such attacks.
But the opposition party says there is no concrete evidence to support the claim.
The APC argued that if the claims were true, the state government should be able to provide records detailing the names, locations, incidents, and costs associated with the treatment of these victims.
The party accused Governor Lawal of failing to fulfill his 2023 campaign promise to eliminate banditry within his first two months in office. Instead, the APC said the security situation has worsened, and the people of Zamfara continue to live in fear. According to the APC, many communities still suffer from rampant attacks while the governor is allegedly preoccupied with travelling and personal leisure.
They also questioned how victims living in remote areas far from Gusau—the state capital—are supposed to access free treatment when the healthcare facilities mentioned, such as the Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital and Federal Medical Centre, are not easily accessible to many rural residents. The APC said if the government truly supported treatment for gunshot victims, there should be payment vouchers, receipts, or official records to show for it.
The party further called on journalists to investigate the hospitals to verify the governor’s claims rather than relying on what it described as “fabricated” statements.
The APC demanded that Governor Lawal or the healthcare institutions publish the full list of beneficiaries, including their names, local government areas, villages, and the specific dates of the attacks.
The party concluded by calling on Governor Lawal to apologise for what it described as misleading the public, and urged him to adopt a more sincere approach in dealing with security issues. I
It also advised the governor to collaborate with relevant stakeholders if he truly intends to address the worsening insecurity in Zamfara, or refrain from making what it termed “embarrassing statements.”
Source : Daily Post
