It would amount to self-deceit for anybody to assume all is well in the country today. The atmosphere is tensed up leaving everybody in a worrisome state of perpetual fear. Fear of insecurity. Fear of economic uncertainty. Fear of the unknown, the immediate future portends. And above all, fear of possible disintegration and partition of the Nigerian nation.
While some patriotic and peace-loving Nigerians are working assiduously to calm the tension, some, regrettably in the corridors of power, are bent on igniting the mountains of gun powder with heightened utterances. Why on earth should ordinary cows be accorded a human status? Aside from Nigeria, tell me another country where that is happening all over the world. To reasonable and objective-minded individuals, the Asaba Declararation by 17 the southern governors meant well for the nation. By twisting the law however to give the communiqué a divisive interpretation is most disappointing and unfortunate. The laws of the land allow people to move from one part of the country to another for economic activities. Agreed. Do the same laws accommodate destruction of lives and property as we witness all over the places under the guise of rearing cows? What indeed are the relevance of governors being on those seats if they cannot take decisive steps to protect lives and property of their people?
The Nigerian nation has become a laughing stock on account of the absolutely needless and embarrassing prominence given to cows to the detriment of human beings. I remember quite vividly some years back when the Ghanaian government ordered the shooting of a number of cows for roaming the streets thereby crossing into forbidden places. The Ghanaian President in a condescending tone said, “This is not Nigeria”, perhaps, where cows are welcomed even into the State Houses. Cow rearing is nothing but a regional business not different from cocoa in the West. One wonders why it has become the business of the Nigerian government? Is the Federal Government talking about cocoa plantation in the South-West going into extinction? Many of the recycled politicians still in government to date are beneficiaries of free education funded from cocoa exports in the old Western Nigeria. Why are we not taking steps to revamp cocoa production especially now that oil is gradually becoming unpopular due to the emerging technology in automobile? Why is Nigeria not encouraging the former Eastern Region to become another Brazil and Italy in shoe-making? Why the brouhaha over herdsmen business if there is no hidden agenda? The unquantifiable number of innocent Nigerians whose lives have been lost to Fulani herdsmen onslaught under the pretence of rearing cows is indeed unimaginable. So many provocative outbursts have come out from those in government where it is least expected viz:
“How can Southern governors meet without clearance from or informing the North”?; “Fulani herdsmen carry AK-47 to protect themselves”; “Fulani herdsmen rearing cattle in the South is not different from spare parts sellers in the North”. Of course we all know that the spare parts sellers embrace peace in their states of resident. The list is quite inexhaustible.
Ironically, Miyetti Allah, whose interest the powers-that-be are fighting, appears reasonable enough not to dismiss the Asaba Declaration with a wave of the hands. To them, if 17 southern governors could come out with one voice, then something has really gone wrong. From their body language, it is obvious some of them, if not all, are thinking along relocating to the North with their cattle. Why then should those who are opposed to the ban on open grazing be crying more than the bereaved? The Kano State Governor, Umar Ganduje, has condemned the killer herdsmen terrorising host communities. Also, a notable Northern youth group has most of the time been fair and impartial in their assessment of controversial and burning issues. They have again expressed support for the 17 governors on the ban against open grazing.
The state where l hail from in the South-West is witnessing an unprecedented famine currently. The cause has been blamed on the merciless activities of Fulani herdsmen whose cows have virtually destroyed their farmlands. It is completely inhuman and in fact wicked for cattle rearers migrating from the North to do their own business here not only destroy the means of livelihood of host communities but also resort to killing the generous host communities and claim to have unrestricted access to land anywhere in Nigeria. No, it can never work that way absolutely. Looking at the fragile political atmosphere in the country today, it is in the best interest all and sundry to embrace peace. The Southern governors have been courageous in coming out with solutions capable of fostering peaceful coexistence. The Federal Government has the responsibility to protect lives and property of all Nigerians and must be seen to be committed to that and not necessarily favouring one side over the other.
Matthew Adeleye,
Ota, Ogun State
Be the first to comment