The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has vowed to prove his critics wrong.
Many Nigerians, especially on social media, have faulted the portfolio assigned to Mr Matawalle due to his inability to tackle insecurity in Zamfara State.
But the former Zamfara governor, who spoke at a reception organised for him in Abuja, expressed confidence in handling the security challenges facing the country.
Mr Matawalle said: “I have been hearing some people saying my brother Badaru [Minister of Defence] and I do not have the capacity to serve as ministers of defence, these people do not even understand what security is.
“Therefore, this is not where the problem is, what matters most is one’s determination, courage, and opportunity.
“When I was governor of Zamfara State, we took all necessary measures to secure the state.
“There was a time when we went 100 days without any security challenges. We also spent 9 months without a single person being harmed.
“All measures I took to curb the security problems in Zamfara State, I have to do it first and other governors followed suit. This is because I have a strong understanding of security matters.
“I have a good news to the people of Zamfara State that I will not disappoint them. I believe that with God’s help, we will be able to overcome the security challenges.
“Those who say Badaru and I cannot do it will be ashamed. They will see that it is God who is doing the work, not them.”
“In the past, we were asking for help. But now, we are in a position to help others,” Mr Matawalle added.
