Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF, on Wednesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to halt the call by the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, on Fulani herders in the Southern part of the country to leave for the North.
SMBLF’s statement is signed by Chief E.K. Clark; Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Afenifere; Chief Nnia Nwodo, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Dr. Pogu Bitrus, Middle Belt Forum.
The call on Fulani herders to return home was made by the Professor Ango Abdullahi led group.
SMBLF described the action of NEF as divisive and capable of moving the country more dangerously to the edge of the precipice.
The leaders also called on the international community to intervene to save the country from a dangerous consequence.
The statement by the Southern leaders reads in part: “The Northern youths under the leadership of Prof. Ango Abdullahi, had about 2 years ago, given a 30-day ultimatum for Ibos to leave the North. And now, again under his leadership, the NEF has called on the Fulanis in the Southern parts of the Country to return to the North. This spells doom. We strongly call on President Muhammadu Buhari to put a stop to the divisive actions of Prof. Ango Abdullahi and his youths because it will be very dangerous for us to return to circumstances that created the civil war which took place in this country from 1967 to 1970 whereby many Nigerians lost their lives and property. The nation is yet to recover fully from that incident.
“Finally, we appeal to the international community not to watch arms akimbo the dangerous events that are playing out in Nigeria. It is cheaper to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the contradictions that have been deliberately orchestrated in the country as it would be more expensive for them to handle an implosion in Nigeria.”
SMBLF’s statement reads in full:
NIGERIA’S CRISIS AND NORTHERN ELDERS’ FORUM (NEF)’S DESCENT TO THE FRAY:
A response by the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF, to the order by the NEF, to Fulani herders to leave the Southern parts of the Country, and return to the North (Wednesday, 17th July, 2019).
The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum is deeply worried that Nigeria is sliding dangerously to the edge of the precipice with no clear signal of the authority in the land doing anything concrete to arrest the drift.
We must make the following observations at this critical juncture:
1) The spate of criminalities in the country in forms of raping of women, kidnaps for ransom and killings of innocent people have reached a frightening proportion with the latest being the killing of Funke Olakunri (Nee Fasoranti) last Friday. We pray for comfort for the Fasoranti family and all families who are mourning dear ones across the country due to the unhinged activities of these criminal bandits.
2) We are saddened that at a time for national sober reflection on the tragedy befalling our country, the Coalition of Northern Groups has chosen to further inflame passion by making reckless and unguarded statements on the state of affairs. It is more depressing that the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has chosen to join the youths who issued a 30-day ultimatum to Southerners to accept RUGA or face unpleasant consequences in their provocative action.
3) We are shocked that Prof. Ango Abdullahi who is a co-Chairman of the Nigerian Leaders and Elders Forum could join the call on Fulani cattle rearers to quit the South with all its implications without first consulting his colleagues on the forum. As an Elder, he should know that this type of call preceded the last civil war Nigeria fought in case the exuberant youth are not aware.
The SMBLF started working with the NEF when it (NEF) under the leadership of Prof. Ango Abdullahi invited all the Leaders from the Southern and Middle Belt to a meeting at the NICON Luxury Hotel on 18th July, 2018. The meeting was attended by eminent personalities, politicians and professionals from all over Nigeria including representatives from all the Northern States. In that meeting, we took a decision on the spate of killing, kidnapping and rape going on the country, perpetrated by criminals. The Communiqué of that meeting was published in the media, and the Federal Government reacted negatively to it. The list of all the Attendees of that meeting is available at any time. Since then, we have held, at least, three of such meetings at various place all working towards peace and unity of the Country.
Another reason for the group’s meeting is to search for a credible candidate for the then forthcoming Presidential Elections. We all agreed to interview all the Presidential aspirants, and after interacting with several of them, the group endorsed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; as a matter of fact this is the statement of Prof. Ango Abdullahias published in the Vanguard Newspaper of Saturday, 22nd December, 2018, when he was asked a question “Have you been able to speak with PMB?”
“No. in fairness to the elders when we met Afenifere and the rest of them, in one of the resolutions, we said we should talk to all the Presidential candidates. Of course, Buhari is one of the Presidential Candidates, so they drafted a letter but I refused to sign.”
Eventually, the group agreed to support Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the Presidential candidate, because we noted that of all the candidates we interviewed, he appeared to us to be the person who can unify the country and address the issues plaguing it. This fact Prof Ango Abdulahi also stated as published in the Guardian Newspaper of 7th February, 2019 where it was stated that “Leaders of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi has said, the Northern Elders endorsed Presidential Candidate of the (PDP) Atiku Abubakar because they believe he will deliver the nation from misrule and economic woes. Abdullahi said that the groups were backing Atiku based on his competence, insisting he still stood with Atiku. According to him, he was among those who supported and fought for Buhari to be elected President in 2015, but regretted that he, Buhari, has failed to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians”.
4 We ordinarily would have expected an elder of the status of Prof. Ango Abdullahi, to show concern for human life by sending condolence to the bereaved at a time like this before getting into grievances that his group may have .Not seeing such attitude is worrisome.
5) The expressed grievance of the criminalization of Fulani as a group is totally misplaced and unfounded. As stated above, the Nigerian Leaders and Elders Forum which Prof Abdullahi belongs to unanimously endorsed Atiku for the last election and still support him till now. Is he not a Fulani man?
What people have railed against is the terrorism which some Fulani militias who pose as herdsmen have inflicted on Middle Belt and Southern communities and which they have even openly admitted in some cases .We expect peace-loving and rational Fulanis to join in the condemnations of these criminal elements and the enforcement of the law against them. This would have shown they believe in the unity of this country and its cohesion. But taking any attack against these people as condemning all Fulanis unwittingly gives the impression that they endorse the activities of these elements.
6) The Southern and Middle Belt communities have not said fellow Nigerians from the North cannot do business in their areas. This is why we endorsed ranching for cattle business and that those who are interested should purchase land from the states and be ready to live under the laws of the states. What we are opposed to is creating Federal Cattle Territories in States in the name of Ruga.
7) We call on leaders to embrace responsible conducts in this season in Nigeria so as not to give the impression that they are war-thirsty.
We want to re-emphasis that at no time did the Governors and Leaders of Southern Nigeria object or declared war against the Northern Fulani herdsmen who have lived with us for many years. As I speak and write, there are a large number of them, living in and around my village, and doing their legitimate business.
What we are against, is the Fulani herders who are armed with AK47 and other weapons and ammunitions, killing, raping, destroying and causing mayhem. Even President Muhammadu Buhari has himself admitted that the Fulanis who carry these arms are not the legitimate herders, but those from other countries, and these are the ones the Ruga settlement is being planned for, and we say no to it, and will resist it. Prof Ango Abdullahi should not think that the North can do it alone.
The Northern youths under the leadership of Prof. Ango Abdullahi, had about 2 years ago, given a 30-day ultimatum for Ibos to leave the North. And now, again under his leadership, the NEF has called on the Fulanis in the Southern parts of the Country to return to the North. This spells doom. We strongly call on President Muhammadu Buhari to put a stop to the divisive actions of Prof. Ango Abdullahi and his youths because it will be very dangerous for us to return to circumstances that created the civil war which took place in this country from 1967 to 1970 whereby many Nigerians lost their lives and property. The nation is yet to recover fully from that incident.
Finally, we appeal to the international community not to watch arms akimbo the dangerous events that are playing out in Nigeria. It is cheaper to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the contradictions that have been deliberately orchestrated in the country as it would be more expensive for them to handle an implosion in Nigeria.
