An attack on Southern and Middle Belt leaders at the weekend, by the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF), Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, has elicited a prompt rebuke from the leaders.
Shettima, who led a delegation of some northern governors to Benue State over recent killings by Fulani herdsmen in the state, described Southern and Middle Belt leaders as “political dinosaurs” with nothing more to contribute to national development.
The leaders, in their response, described the statement as rude and uncouth, saying “no well raised” person would address elderly persons as the northern governors did.
Leaders of the pan-Yoruba political organisation, Afenifere, Ohanaeze and Middle Belt Forum, had, last Wednesday visited the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, to commiserate with him over the recent killings and mass burial of 73 people in the state. They called for a restructuring of the country.
But on Friday, leading Governors Simon Lalong (Plateau), Malam el-Rufai (Kaduna), Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Mohammad Abubakar (Jigawa), Shettima described the southern leaders as old men who were living in the past with “nothing to give Nigeria again.”
The deputy governor of Osun State, Chief (Mrs) Titilayo Tomori, also joined the team to represent her governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola.
The governor, who used the visit to lash at leaders of the Joint South and Middle Belt Forum, expressed disgust that people were trying to make politics out of the crisis, stating that “none of those people could say they know problems of this state than the governor.”
Shettima, who refused to condemn the activities of the herdsmen throughout his speech and during interaction with newsmen, said problems were created by men and only men could find solution to the problems.
According to him, “sensationalism cannot advance the cause of the issue. We should have generosity of spirit to embrace each other.”
While saying, unlike the old generations of southern leaders that do not have anything to give to Nigeria again, the governor said, “we are the new generation of Nigerian leaders, not for some political dinosaurs from Abuja or any other part of the country to cause unnecessary issues.
“All of us here are members of this generation. The future belongs to us,” he said, while adding that leaders born a few years after the amalgamation of Nigeria are “living in the past and are political dinosaurs.”
Reacting, however, the joint secretary of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said the statement by Governor Shettima was a clear manifestation of somebody who lacked good moral standing and manners, but gained prominence in a country like Nigeria which he said had lost its soul.
“Shettima’s remarks are crude, rude, uncouth and acultural. No well-raised person would address a 90-year old man in such a mannerless fashion.
“And it is a country that has lost its soul that would make men in their advanced age to be travelling thousands of kilometres to commiserate over wanton killings of citizens by deranged elements, that could boast of such as a governor.
“We waited to hear him (Shettima) condemn the killers, but he did not. It is mourners he is now running his mouth against. Didn’t former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff tell us a few things recently about him?
“It is a shame and tragedy of monumental proportion that in the midst of death and wailings, some insensitive souls will go and march on the graves of the murdered and be politicking with unreasonable comments.
“The odd member of that delegation is the deputy governor of Osun State, Mrs Titilayo Tomori, who appeared like a sheep in the midst of dogs. These fellows are afraid of their shadows and, instead of addressing the wanton killing of innocent people by their sacred cows, are running about like beheaded chickens.
“The genie is out of the bottle and never again shall their wards kill without consequences. We shall continue to use our moral authority to make this land uncomfortable for killers and their patrons,” he said.
Reacting to the issue,Chief Ikedife said that “the way that the Federal Government is handling this matter falls short of expectation. It looks like the beginning of something that has been planned for a long time. Government’s seeming silence is suspicious. The way something like this has happened and nobody is taking responsibility leaves one wondering whether we have a government. These herdsmen use guns to sack villages and destroy farmlands.
They sack towns and are killing people on a daily basis, yet the government has not called them terrorists. But they were in a hurry to call the IPOB a terrorist group even when they have no weapons and have not killed anybody before. On top of that, we have a bill on grazing reserves and cattle colony. Where on earth do we have that kind of thing in the 21st century? Cattle rearing should not be in the wilderness,” Ikedife told newsmen
He continued: “What is happening is fanning the embers of disunity and threatening the wellbeing of the country and the government is keeping quiet and seems unconcerned. It does not show that government is being responsible and sensitive enough; it falls short of expectations. The president says it takes time for him to make up his mind on something, but he cannot be silent when the house is on fire. You cannot be playing hide and seek when there are things destabilising the country.”
On Buhari’s failure to visit Benue State in the wake of the killing of over 73 since January 1st, he said: “He does not need to visit but he can do something from where he is because of his security and age, which must be put into consideration. Let him stay there and give instructions and those affected will carry it out.”
He stated that with the level of displacement and hunger being caused by the development, it would be impossible for the people to participate in the 2019 general election.
Ikedife suggested that “government must take a stand and say something. We must say that what is happening is bad, and put in motion plans to stop them. The government has to wake up. A government that regularly organises Operation Python Dance, Operation Crocodile Smile among others is now watching its citizens being massacred in their homes. This leaves much to be desired. It means that something is wrong somewhere and we are watching and waiting as the music is being played by the Buhari administration.”
Chief Uwazuruike, who is thoroughly appalled at the Federal Government’s reaction to the continuous killings expressed shock that “two mobile policemen were killed when these people attacked their station, but the Inspector General of Police and the Federal Government have swept the matter under the carpet. It is the height of insult to the Nigerian people. The same people are claiming ownership of an entire state and nobody is holding them accountable. This is to say the least inhuman.
“Till today, the Federal Government has not sent any delegation to Benue State and did not attend the burial of the victims killed by the herdsmen. This is an indication that the Federal Government is partisan, compromised and insensitive to the plight of certain ethnic region. To add salt to injury, the Minister of Agriculture, who of course is an indigene of Benue State is talking about cattle colonies. What in the world gave him that kind of idea? We have an insensitive Federal Government that has refused to take the blame for the loss of lives and property of the people that voted it into power in 2015.
“The day President Buhari flew to Kaduna State, it would have taken him few minutes to look in at Benue and empathise with the people, but he did not. This means that there are people he is meant to protect and care for, not the Benue people.
“When the IPOB without arms was canvassing a referendum, the Federal Government sent soldiers to march throughout the streets of Abia State, massacred IPOB members and silenced their voices, but even with the scale of human loss in Benue, government says it is a communal clash. On the one hand, those who bear no arms are branded terrorists, on the other hand, those who kill with AK47 are protected. As a lawyer, I know what murder is and we know that this one is pogrom and genocide.
They were killed because they were farmers; they were killed because they were Christians, and they were killed because they are of a certain ethnic group. Let the Federal Government do what is required under the constitution and protect the people. Let the government fish out the killers.
More killings are going on within border communities of Benue and Taraba states on a daily basis. Government visited South East with Operation Python Dance and branded IPOB a terrorist organisation, why is the same government complacent with people that are killing others daily? It is the height of insensitivity.”
Rev. Chukwuma is of the firm view that “the government has shown that it is not there to protect the interest of all Nigerians.He therefore warned that, “the people are being provoked into taking up arms to defend themselves. When this is done, then it will result in full- blown war.”
Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, while receiving Shettima and his colleagues, declared that the state, in spite of assurances of security by the Federal Government, is still under the siege of Fulani herdsmen.
He said there were still pockets of challenges in the state which needed to be nipped in the bud, even as he called for the arrest and prosecution of the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) which members were alleged to be behind the recent killings in the state.
The governor further said people of the state still lived in fear, following the persistent threats by the herdsmen who he said were insisting on claiming land to allow for open grazing in the state.
“We thank God that peace is gradually returning to the state, but there are still pockets of challenges here. We know the challenges will soon be over because our people are always at alert to give useful information to security operatives around.
“Let me tell you that our people are still living in fear and under siege; living in fear because of the series of threats by Kautal Hore which started the threat since seven months ago. They are not mere threats.
“We have evidence against them. What we are saying is that the Federal Government should arrest the leadership of Kautal Hore”, he said.
The governor, however, restated the commitment of his administration to ensuring peace in the state and enjoined Nigerian leaders to always be sincere and truthful, noting that doing this would make Nigeria take its rightful position as the giant of Africa.
The southern leaders’ delegation, led by Chief Ayo Adebanjo, had, on Wednesday, taken a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari, saying Nigerians were warned against the Buhari presidency, adding that the president had made the presidency a northern agenda.
While insisting on the restructuring of the country which he said would give equal right to everyone, Chief Adebanjo had admonished Nigerians not to go into the 2019 elections until the country was restructured.
Adebanjo, who condoled with the people and government of the state, said, “If Buhari and the All progressives Congress (APC) are interested in keeping this country, they must go and resolve herdsmen issue
“To Benue, you are too educated, too civilised and matured for people who do not know how to read and write to come and intimidate you in your own land. No one should dominate the other.”