By Jude Ndukwe
Still in a mourning mood over the mindless massacre at Enugu by suspected
Fulani herdsmen, the nation’s heavy heart was further daggered by what can best
be described as the petulance of an arrogant set of governors from the
northern part of the country who take pleasure in talking down on the other
parts of the country and behave like a headmaster whose pupils must not have an
opinion not to talk of expressing such without incurring his wrath.
Following the Ukpabi Nimbo incident in Enugu State, there was a
general outpour of rage by all well-meaning Nigerians who thought, and rightly
so too, that the president, Muhammadu Buhari, has not done enough to rein in
the Fulani herdsmen despite their repeated reign of terror across the middle
belt and southern parts of the country. Nigerians had thought the Agatu attack
was the height of the continued attack by the herdsmen; they had thought the
president would say something to, at least, placate the grieving community, but
no word came from him. The worst was that those responsible for the heinous
crime had a meeting with Nigeria ’s
chief police officer where they confessed to their crime, yet, were let go,
strangely.
Also, Nigerians could not understand why Buhari gave marching
orders to service chiefs to deal with pipeline vandals in the south southern
part of the country but gave no such stern orders against the Fulani herdsmen
until the public outrage that followed the Enugu massacre. Rightly or wrongly, a lot of
Nigerians think that the Fulani herdsmen are enjoying tacit support from the
powers that be to carry on their dastardly acts unchecked. This thought stems
from Buhari’s actions and statements in the past where he had expressed and
actually acted in support of the Fulani herdsmen who are also his kinsmen.
For example in October 2000, President Buhari had travelled all
the way from Katsina State leading a delegation of 5 men to the then
governor of Oyo State, Lam Adeshina, to strongly protest the reprisal attack
carried out on Fulani herdsmen by the Saki people of the state after the
herdsmen had repeatedly attacked people of the area. The presence of Buhari and
his delegation was said to have raised palpable tension in the state that they
even refused to acknowledge pleasantries from government officials and left in
anger without taking the refreshments served them by the governor. This was
understandable as the governor, Lam Adeshina, was said to have properly
addressed them and put them in their rightful place by warning them to stop
parading around causing disunity where there was none!
With this in mind, Nigerians might not be wrong to have accused
the president of not acting timeously against the herdsmen because of some
ethnic and religious affinity he shares with them.
So, when the 19 northern state governors issued a statement
after their meeting berating Nigerians for blaming Buhari and the Fulani
herdsmen for the atrocities, it came to many as a shock. The question is, who
else do these governors want Nigerians to blame? Buhari is the Commander-in-Chief;
he swore to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians. When he fails to do
this repeatedly, the citizens would have no one else to blame but him
especially when his long silence had given rise to suspicions of an ethnic
agenda against the south.
It is quite hypocritical that these same governors had found it
expedient to blame former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for the Chibok
crisis because he was the Commander-in-Chief but would not want Nigerians to
blame Buhari for similar crises.
Apart from this, they went ahead to warn Nigerians not to
classify the perpetrators of this evil act as Fulani as if the perpetrators
were Yoruba or Igbo or Tiv. The fact is that these are herdsmen of Fulani
extraction; their attack is ethnic in nature and their aim is to occupy
conquered territories, subjugate host communities and install an emirate just
like they once did at Ilorin .
And we must call a spade by its name. The situation is so dire that there is no
room for window dressing. If the northern governors do not like the fact that
Buhari is being rightly blamed for the nearly irredeemable security lapses
currently ravaging our country, they should prod him to do more and advise
their atrocious kinsmen who are bringing bad publicity to their region to behave
or be dealt with.
The era of browbeating other sections of the country into
submission is over! There is a new reality on ground now. There is a new
generation of stubborn Nigerians who are ready to fight to keep the sanctity of
their people’s God-given dignity than allow any person or group of persons to
rob them of their humanity. There is a new generation of southerners and middle
belters who are more united now more than ever to challenge the looming pogrom
planned by a common enemy but still being implemented by installments as a way
of test-running the main agenda.
There is a new generation of Igbo who do not care anymore about
the defeat their fathers suffered in the civil war, and are ready to defend
their lives and property if called out again. If the government of Buhari
will not protect them, they are prepared to stand the enemy face to face and
eyeball to eyeball all by themselves. The consequences of allowing this crisis
to degenerate to a free for all fight will be too much for both this government
and the country to bear.
Lastly, and for the avoidance of doubt, the threats by the
northern state governors are nothing but the wailing of a duck. If they do not
have anything soothing to say to those who are grieving as a result of the
terror unleashed on innocent citizens by their kinsmen, they should just keep
quiet!
*Mr. Ndukwe could be reached with: jrndukwe@yahoo.co.uk
*Mr. Ndukwe could be reached with: jrndukwe@yahoo.co.uk
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