In the News for the Wrong Reasons
Politicians generally enjoy being the subject of favourable news reports. But last week, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum found himself in the news for the wrong reason after he was quoted or ‘misquote
Until his comments on the outbreak of meningitis in some states in the north, Governor Abdul’Aziz Yari had enjoyed a quiet time as governor. Not even his role as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum has brought him such public outcry. The last time Zamfara state or its governor featured prominently in the press was when one of Yari’s predecessors, Senator Sani Yerima (1999-2007), introduced the controversial Sharia Islamic legal system in the state; the issue became a matter of public debate as diverse opinions were expressed on the constitutionality or otherwise of the introduction of Sharia in Zamfara State. Some other states later followed suit.
As a senator, Yerima continued to be in the news. His marriage to a a 13-year old Egyptian girl was widely condemned by southerners. Yerima was latter to support a legislation pegging the legal age of consent for marriage from at 13 year.
This was the last time the Zamfara or any of its governors had any prominence in the news until the outbreak of meningitis in some states in the country. Yari was quoted to have said that God always sends strange illnesses that have no cure to torment the people for turning their back on Him.
Yari, whose state, appeared to be worst hit by the disease had spoken to State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after a private meeting with President Muhammdu Buhari. Over 200 persons were reportedly dead while several others are receiving treatment at various hospitals and clinics in the state when the alleged statement was made.
According to the reports, Yari said: “What we used to know as far as meningitis is concerned is the type A virus. The World Health Organization, WHO, has carried out vaccinations against this type A virus not just in Zamfara, but many other states. However, because people refused to stop their nefarious activities, God now decided to send Type C virus, which has no vaccination.
“People have turned away from God and he has promised that ‘if you do anyhow, you see anyhow’ that is just the cause of this outbreak as far as I am concerned. There is no way fornication will be so rampant and God will not send a disease that cannot be cured.”
The governor was quoted as saying that only 5 million dose of the vaccine against the Type C virus was available globally. Even this dosage, he was quoted to have lamented, would not be enough for his state, adding that the Federal Ministry of Health had only 50,000 doses of the vaccine, out of which 20,000 was given to his state.
He said: “That is not enough for Zamfara people alone, not to talk of Katsina or Kano.
“Our Focus as a state now is to continue treating those who are infected with the disease, but as for vaccination, it has an international dimension.
“We have information that Nigeria will get the highest percentage of the 5 million doses available now. Apart from WHO, other International bodies such as the Bill Gates foundation and UNICEF are also currently focusing on how to tackle the outbreak.”
When the report hit the airwaves and the news stands, the reaction was sporadic. Notable among those who condemned the statement was the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi. An exasperated Sanusi could not hide his disgust for the statement. He went ballistic. He used the opportunity to take a swipe at the conservative northern leaders ‘whose discouraging attitudes and activities’, he said, had impeded the development of the region.
While speaking at an event organised by the Kaduna State Government to encourage investments, lamented the attitude of northern leaders to development. He cited an occasion when a former governor of Kano State destroyed books on romance and love just to demonstrate how conservative he was. Sanusi said that other Islamic countries or countries that were more Islamic than Nigeria had moved on. He said Yari’s response to the current meningitis outbreak in the state was “a complete failure of social policy.”
He said: “We are fighting culture and we are fighting civilization. For us to address social policy, we have to reclaim our religion.”
Sanusi criticised the ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam in some parts of Northern Nigeria which he said, had discouraged girlchild education, family planning and other progressive policies.
The emir descended heavily on Yari for at- tributing meningitis outbreak in his state and others as God’s punishment for people’s sins.
“(If) you don’t have vaccines, you don’t have vaccines; Go and get vaccines,” the emir said.
However, the governor was forced to beat a retreat and clarify his statement when it became clear to him that critics won’t let go.
It was an extensive interview and quote, but the governor in the clarification denied ever saying that the outbreak was punishment for sins committed by the people.
According to his Special Adviser on Media and Public Enlightenment, Mr. Ibrahim Magaji Dosara, the governor pointed out that he merely asked Nigerians to move closer to God and plead for his mercy to avert further infectious diseases and other health crises in the state and Nigeria since God has answers to all challenges.
“The governor noted that the situation was unfortunate because the state does not have enough vaccines yet for the Type C Meningitis. The governor thereafter enjoined all Nigerians to embrace prayers, as God who is aware of the outbreak of the ailment surely has antidote for it.
“The governor specially appealed to Nigerians to make deliberate effort to be closer to God by shunning sins of fornication and other forms of disobedience so as to receive his divine health and other blessings, as he is closer to those who obey him and distant themselves from sins.
“No doubt, as a God-fearing man, and a Muslim, the governor believes in the powers of Allah to inflict whatever punishment He decides on the human race.
“However, the governor who spoke in Hausa had a particular audience in mind when he spoke to the BBC Hausa reporter.
“The governor added for example, that fornication ‘should not spread so much in society that it becomes common place and if that happens, Allah promises to inflict, on its perpetrators (people) a sickness that would have no cure.’
“Let it be known too that the governor still insists that all diseases come from Allah and that at no point in his interaction with the reporters did he insinuate that Allah was punishing Nigerians but instead drew from the teachings of great Islamic traditions to buttress the point he was trying to convey.
“This is exactly what the governor said. But because some people are out there to ridicule him at the slightest opportunity and make a mountain out of a molehill with a view to tarnishing his rising reputation, the innocuous statement was misinterpreted and quoted out of context for reasons best known to the authors.
“We therefore use this medium to appeal to all well meaning Nigerians to ignore the story making the round and condemn the act of unethical practice by those disseminating the deceptive story.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Zamfara State Government in conjunction with relevant federal government agencies is making frantic effort to contain the outbreak of meningitis in the state by taking immediate steps to secure appropriate vaccines for the latest health challenge.
“Let it be on record that the state under the leadership of Governor, Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari will not abandon the wellbeing of the people, who elected him to pilot the affairs of the state for any other thing. As the saying goes, health is wealth, and the administration will not settle for anything apart from vigorously pursuing the overall well being of Zamfara people,” he said.
Yet, the storm is yet to be over because as at today, almost 500 people have died from meningitis and it is hard not to be moved by the situation as it continues to ravage many states across the nation, most of them from Zamfara.
Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari was elected Governor of Zamfara State, Nigeria in the 26 April 2011 national elections, running on the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) platform. Following the merger of the ANPP and several other opposition parties into the now-governing All Progressives Congress, Yari became a member of the APC.
Abubakar has been politically active since 1999. He was elected to represent Talata Mafara/ Anka Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. He was Zamfara State chairman of the ANPP, and a member of the cabinet of former Governor Ahmad Sani Yerima. During Sani’s tenure, Yari was thought to have gained money from contracts. In November 2007, Yari was among Zamfara state officials charged with money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
When the then Zamfara State Governor Mahmud Shinkafi defected to the PDP in January 2009, taking the ANPP’s state executive committee with him, the ANPP’s national headquarters in Abuja was forced to create a Caretaker Committee headed by Yari. The committee’s tenure was repeatedly extended.
Yari was elected Governor of Zamfara State in the 26 April 2011 national elections, running on the ANPP platform. With a twist of fate, Yari defeated his father-in-law, former Governor Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi of the PDP, to become the governor. He defeated his wife’s father by 514,962 votes to Shinkafi’s 460,656 votes.
Zamfara and other states have been battling with insufficient vaccines to prevent the spread of the disease.
As Yari rides this storm, many are wondering what is next in store for Zamfara State which appears to be taking the lead in Islamic conservatism: fromYerima’s Sharia now to Yari’s new diagnosis for meningitis outbreak.