The federal government has cleared the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, over allegations of complicity on banditry in Zamfara state.
The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, in an interview on Arise TV said allegations against the minister were thoroughly investigated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and found to be baseless and politically- motivated.
According to Onanuga, the NSA’s investigation concluded that the allegations against Matawalle were “mere fabrications”.
He said, “As far as I know, most of those things are mere allegations.
“In one of them, I got something like that and sent it to the NSA and asked: ‘Have you heard about this?’ The NSA said: ‘No. We have probed a lot of those things; they are not true.”
The presidential aide also provided insights into the rationale behind the cabinet reshuffle, explaining that public perception played a crucial role.
“People are just bringing out all kinds of fake things and allegations. That is why the man [Matawalle] is still in the cabinet. The president, I’m sure, has heard many stories about him.
“For him to be there shows that, as I have said, some of those things have been probed. They are not true,” Onanuga said.
He applauded Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, for implementing a system that allowed Nigerians to assess the ministers’ performances.
“It wasn’t done arbitrarily. Hadiza Bala Usman brought in technology, asking Nigerians to rate the ministers.
“So, the removal of these ministers was based on empirical facts, shaped by the public’s perception. The scorecards were filled by the people, and the president acted on those results,” he noted.
He added that the reshuffle was not solely about meeting the president’s expectations but also addressing the concerns of the public.
“A few weeks ago, during a cabinet meeting, the president urged the ministers to inform Nigerians of their accomplishments, because, according to him, there was a public perception that the government wasn’t performing,” he said.
Matawalle who recently visited the operational base of Operation Hadirin Daji led a successful coordination that culminated to the elimination of Halilu Sububu, a bandit kingpin and his several lieutenants.
The minister is seen as a strong supporter of President Tinubu in the North and recently reprimanded the former Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, over his comments on the president’s economic policies asking Nigerians to protest against the government.
Besides, going by the achievements, proactive commitment to the fight against insurgency, and political doggedness, many opposition figures are uncomfortable with the confidence reposed in him by the president.