Yoruba will resist “Grazing Colonies”, says ONAC

Ibadan, January 9, 2018 Press Statement No inch of Yoruba territory must be ceded for ‘Cattle Colony’ by the State or Federal Governments, the Oodua Nationalist Coalition, (ONAC) warned on Tuesday in a statement issued at Ibadan.

The group accused President Mohammadu Buhari of promoting ethnic supremacy through his indifference to Fulani genocide and savage manslaughter.

“It is the first time in Nigerian history that the Federal Government will boldly and without shame support armed insurgents and murderers. This is the worst scene in recent human history that no one can ever forget in a hurry.” ONAC berated the Governor of Ondo State, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu for his support for the Fulani herdsmen. ONAC quoted Akeredolu as saying that he would not ban grazing at a time that 200 Ondo farmers have been sacked and some of them killed by Fulani herdsmen. This is the same state that Fulani herdsmen kidnapped a Yoruba former Presidential aspirant, Chief Olu Falae. This is the same state that Fulani rape and kidnapp innocent Ondo people without end. The Ondo Governor is dancing to the tune of Fulani dealers who funded his dubious election with billions of naira at the cost of the dignity and heritage of Yoruba people.

“It is clear from Akeredolu’s statement that after selling his own conscience, he does not care about selling the entire future of the people of Ondo state for pittance. But this era will pass and treacherous leaders will soon account for their ignominy.”

The Pan Yoruba group said any attempt to cede any Yoruba territory in the traditional Yoruba homes of Ogun, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Akoko Edo, Itsekiri, Kwara and Kogi States is an invitation to anarchy. ONAC said any governor that harbours “Cattle Colonies” in Yoruba territory is inviting mayhem and bloodletting.

We caution that land in Yorubaland is not a free enterprise. Land is owned by families and traditional communities. It is not conceivable that these lands will be hijacked by the Federal Government to benefit a few armed groups parading themselves as pastoral Fulani. The question we should ask is this: Can the Fulani land in Sokoto and Zamfara be taken over by the Federal Government and handed over to Yoruba cocoa farmers?

“We warn South West States never to allow grazing routes or Cattle colonies in any Yoruba territory. This will amount to using the Nigerian state machinery to commit atrocious crime against the indigenous Yoruba people. It is a conscious attempt to impose Fulani tyranny and conquest by other means on the Yoruba people”, ONAC said in a statement signed by its Deputy Chairman, Mr Olalekan Akinduro. ONAC is a coalition of several Pan Yoruba groups.

The group said rearing of cattle is a private business and that it is curious about the over protectionist posture of the Federal Government when Nigeria is a capitalist state that encourages individual initiatives provided such does not undermine the freedom and survival of others. ONAC said the acrimonious nature of Fulani herdsmen make them a dangerous specie to any society. " They destroy biodiversity, burn down trees, forests, natural stream and estuaries apart from encouraging migration of fellow Fulanis in large numbers from other countries other than Nigeria. The colonies will create permanent settlements for them on tje long run. This will affect the demography of Nigeria, the cultural homogeneity of Yoruba homestead and impact on electoral politics of Yoruba territories. The danger is that having turned these territories to colonies, they will, on the long term become political communions and occupied terrirories legitimized under the Nigerian legal system. It is a clear plot to increase Fulani population in Nigerian indigenous homeland for long term political conquest. The violence is orchestrated to cow and intimidate Nigerians into cowardly submission.

ONAC said the Fulani herdsmen and the associated menace is not just a problem of trade, but also “a phenomenon of Islamic extremism, cultural imperialism and expansionist plot” clothed in the images of commerce.

“We are not deceived. We have seen this over and over since the 1804 Jihad. The plot of the Fulani is to conquer by force the indigenous territories. What has happened is that the advent of democracy has jeopardized the primitive agenda of the Fulani, the way out to achieve their agelong agenda is to hide under the guise of pastoralism.

Signed

Olalekan Akinduro

Put tribalism aside why are they not labelled terrorist even when they have taken more life than boko haram since the start of President Buhari's administration

I fully support ONAC on this. Why will the affluent owners of the cows not buy land with their own money and establish ranches?
How much has the FG contributed to the establishment of private businessess for people from other ethnic groups other than Fulani?