THERE is no other measuring rod for the total collapse of our moral columns as a country than the ubiquitousness of Miyetti Allah in our national affairs and the reckless audacity with which their acquired impunity mocks our outrage.
I shook my head vigorously Sunday night as the vehicle conveying I and Senator Femi Okunrounmu halted for several minutes on the road as a set of senior citizens of this stressed Republic strolled leisurely across the road at Wuse Area in Abuja. How did we get here for crying out loud? We used to laugh at some countries we dubbed Banana Republics unknown to us that our own tag would be Barbaric Republic in the 21st Century.
The quite reticent former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon was in Benue sometimes in July to commiserate with the government and the people of the state over the wanton killings and destruction of properties in the state and expressed worry over the killings of innocent and unarmed villagers by armed herdsmen, which is yet to be stopped by appropriate authorities.
Gowon, who said he was disappointed at the handling of the security situation in the country, said: “Security agencies should invite and question the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore who had threatened to unleash violence on Benue State and later justified the killings and their roles.”
The former Head of State who said he was out of the country when two priests and 17 worshipers were killed in a church in the state during morning mass, expressed the condolences of his group, ‘Nigeria Prays’ to the governor. He said: “I am sad and worried at the religious dimension the killings are assuming. It is worrisome to see innocent people being killed. Government should make more efforts to tackle the insecurity situation in the country before it descends into a full religious war.”
Chairman of Miyetti Allah to General Gowon
The chairman of Miyetti Allah in Plateau State, Muhammad Nuru Abdullahi abused Gowon to no end when he told journalists in response that Gowon was being “disturbed by old age.”
Abdullahi said: “Gowon is talking rubbish and out of ignorance. He should go back to his old age and see what he did before now. When he was Head of State, Gowon was the person who messed this country up. So, forget about him, old age is disturbing him.
“When he said he was advising the security agencies to invite all the Fulani stakeholders and leaders of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, what did he mean? Did he mean that they were the perpetrators of the crimes?
“If he has facts, let him expose the facts so that the proper thing will be done.
“Although I am not in the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore that he mentioned, being a leader, I strongly believe that if Yakubu Gowon as an elder statesman and stakeholder in Nigeria will come out and show his sadness concerning what is happening in Nigeria, he should be cautioned.
“It is possible he has something in his mind that is disturbing him personally.
“I don’t know what Gowon is seeing; he’s seeing Fulani herdsmen. That is how he has messed Nigeria in the 1970s.”
All decent Nigerians were taken aback that we have arrived at a point where a cow herder would address an institution like General Gowon in such rude,reckless and arrogant manner.
National Leader of Miyetti Allah on Saraki
The defection of Senate President,Senator Bukola Saraki has seen the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, it’s National Leader huffing and puffing over the need to get the “crown” off his head. The National Leader of Miyetti Allah, Garus Gololo has also joined the fray calling on Saraki to resign or be forced out. Hear him :
“Nigerians are in dire need of people who would lead every arm of government with decency, understanding and positive mind and change the fortune of our nation for better.
“Miyetti Allah is looking for a leader who would preside over the affairs of the Senate with ultimate respect for the executive and the judiciary, not some one like Senator Saraki who would always scheme to outdo the Presidency.
“We are now tired with Saraki’s style of leadership at the National Assembly, therefore, we are now warning him to honourably resign his position as president of the Senate or we will be compelled to forcefully remove him”, Gololo fumed. Miyetti Allah has no votes in the Senate and the threat to force Saraki out can only literally mean force!
As the outrage over the threat against Saraki was still on, the Benue State Governor Mr. Samuel Ortom sounded the alarm that herdsmen were planning to lie in ambush and kill him along Makurdi-Lafia highway, the only route that connects Abuja to Benue.
Speaking during an interactive session with stakeholders on how to ensure peace during the forthcoming 2019 general elections in the state, the governor explained that he had received intelligence report about the plan to kidnap and kill him.
“Therefore, anytime l sleep and wake up and my spirit doesn’t allow me to travel by road, I would call flight operators. But a few days ago, the Federal Government issued a circular directing that no flight should land in Makurdi airport again.”
Makurdi airport out of bounds
Where is the audacity of Miyetti flowing from that its members are now riding roughshod over us all in this brazen manner?Our elders have the answer when they said from the depth of their wisdom that the dog that has a hunter behind him will send the monkey to its early grave.
Anyone still in doubt as to the source of the audacity of these herders may just have to read between the lines as Mr. President addressed troops at Katsina Airport during the recent Sallah holidays . As he gave pep talks to the solider so deployed on combat operations, the protection of cows was louder than any other thing :
“I am here and pleased at this opportunity to address you and express my pleasure and happiness as your Commander-in-Chief on your performance on the two respective operations.
‘‘Nigerians are looking up to you and us to secure the country. What is happening in the areas of operations are disgraceful. I’m very pleased with the way officers and men are firmly putting it down and I want you to be as ruthless as humanly possible. Nigerians deserve some peace.
‘‘The country has to be secured to be managed. We have been doing our best and we depend a lot on you to do what is needed in the field. I do not want you to spare any cattle rustler, armed robber or any person who thinks he is above the law,” he said.
No gainsaying the fact that the law may not be able to protect us from Miyetti Allah in this season,only Allah can!
…APC vs INEC
THE bully machine of the APC moved against the INEC this week as its National Publicity Secretary accused the electoral umpire of leaking the letter written to it on the dates for its primaries to the media.
“Our attention has been drawn to a leaked letter the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole wrote to the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu informing the Commission of the schedule of the Congresses and Primaries to elect Party candidates for the 2019 General Elections,” Yekini Nabena, its acting National Publicity Secretary said.
“These leaks of our sensitive and confidential correspondence to INEC is becoming commonplace and totally unacceptable. We strongly request that INEC looks into its internal handling of official correspondence and put a stop to these leaks.”
The dates a Party is to hold its primaries in a supposed democracy is “sensitive and confidential ?”
A careful read of the letter would reveal why it was supposed to be a secret document. The APC plans to hold its Presidential primary first ostensibly to allow the Presidential candidate to decide the Senatorial and House of Representatives candidates whose primaries would come after.
They would thereafter hold governorship primaries before holding holding House of Assembly so that the governorship candidate would have the latitude to pick their candidates.
APC had written INEC proposing to hold its governorship primary election on September 24. Saturday September 8 was to feature a nationwide congress to elect delegates to the national convention (presidential); Saturday September 19 for national convention to elect the party’s presidential candidate and for House of Representatives candidates; Thursday September 20 to pick senatorial candidates; Monday September 24 to pick governorship candidates and Saturday September 29 for House of Assembly candidates.
All their members seeking elective offices would therefore be at the mercy of the Presidential Candidate and 36 Governorship candidates.
All those in doubt as to the motive behind the Presidential denial of assent to the Electoral Act that re-ordered the sequence of elections in a bottom-up approach can now see that it is all about bandwagon effect.
Barracks democracy APC style !
END
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