By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
A socio-political group, under the auspices of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) National Defence Group, has described the allegation of involvement in the $2.1 billion arms deal scandal leveled against the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, as a political attempt to detract the Tinubu’s led-government.
This followed a petition written by the APC Akida group alleging the involvement of Matawalle in the arms deal.
However, while reacting to the petition in a statement made available to newsmen in Kaduna, the Chairman of the group, Dr. Suleiman Shuaibu Shinkafi described the Akida group as bunch of mischivious people who do not deserve to be giving any attention, while urging President Tinubu to ignore them.
In the statement, Dr. Shinkafi cautioned the Akida group to desist from calling for the dropping of Matawalle as minister of the federal republic of Nigeria or be exposed alongside their paid master of their political witch-hunting and their anti-party activities, aiming at bringing down the government of the day.
The APC Chieftain described the Akida group as enemies of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government who are out to make the public to percieved the Tinubu-led administration as a corruption government.
Dr. Shinkarfi, while debunking the allegation of Matawalle’s involvement in the arms deal, he challeged the Akida group to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Matawalle was involved in the said arms deal.
He explained that the call by the group to relieve Bello Matawalle Of his Position As a Minister was not either in the interest of Nigerians or in the interest of the rulling APC, but rather, in the interest of some selfish individuals who are after Matawalle only for their political gains.
On the N70 billion allegation against Matawalle as Governor of Zamfara state between 2019 and 2023, Dr. Shinkarfi reminded the Akida group that he became open to Nigerians when the EFFC, after its investigation had nothing to hold against the minister.
“Matawalle is one of those innocent Nigerians who had deligently served and still serving their father’s land with all sense of sincerity. Going by Matawalle’s political anticedents of being a prudent politician with scorecard of transparency and accountability merits to occupy his current position.
” Let me also remind the Akida group that just like any other appointees, Matawalle went through rigorious screening of security outfits, including that of the National Assembly, and was not found guity of any corrupt practices.”
Dr. Shinkarfi therefore urged the Akida group to be positive minded in the interest of progress, prosperity of the nation, and not to destract Tinubu’s government with mere political sentiments that is not in the interest of the masses.
” Beyond any form of sentiment, Matawalle has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he his capable and fit to occupy his current position, contrary to the baseless claims of the Akida group.
” They are jobless set of people, who are only seeking attention of President Tinubu” Dr. Shinkarfi noted.
