The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore herdsmen group has called on the Federal Government to heed the call for the restructuring of the country to allow the Fulani go their way.

The National Secretary of the group, Saleh Alhassan, said in an interview with our correspondent on Saturday that herdsmen were being marginalised in the country and that it was best if they were on their own where they would be protected.

“If the President is a Fulani, it doesn’t in any way affect the life of a herder. In fact, they are worse off under Buhari. What are they benefitting? They don’t access any government facility or social amenity, yet they are responsible for the bulk of animal protein we produce in this country. I think it’s deliberate for people to think otherwise.

“Buhari has not done anything for us other than creating enemies for us. Herders are being chased around. Let us look at the larger picture and not allow enemies penetrate us. If Buhari loves the herders, he would have created the grazing reserves for them.”

There have been calls for the restructuring of the country, with many southern groups insisting that it was the only way the country could move forward, while northern groups have largely been divided on the issue.

Resource control, fairness and the allegations of killings, invasion of farmlands and people’s properties, kidnapping and other criminal activities against some herdsmen had fuelled the calls for restructuring of the country. The herders/farmers clashes had also increased the distrust among the ethnic groups, with some individuals from the different zones issuing quit notice to some others.


Alhassan however told Sunday PUNCH that it was wrong to punish a group of people for the sins of some.

He said, “We don’t support crime. So, I’m not saying there are no Fulani that are criminals, there are, like other tribes, but don’t destroy their profession. It’s not good for the country. If everything busts, it’s to the advantage of the herders because we are not even enjoying the federation.

“We are even bidding for restructuring of the country; let every part go, so we can say this is where we are. As it is now, there is no form of marginalisation we are not seeing in this country. Everywhere we are being marginalised. You think we will accept Nigeria where we don’t have access to land to feed our animals and you think there will be peace?”

When asked if he thinks restructuring would solve the herders/farmers crisis, he said, “Quite fundamentally. If we leave today now and if there is no oil revenue, won’t they pay attention to animal rearing? If we restructure the country and the South-West region says they won’t accept cattle unless they are brought to the market or supermarket, it’s okay by us.

“The mistake people make is that they think when they put pressure on herders they are getting at President (Muhammadu) Buhari. Buhari has no relationship with the herders. That is the truth. When people say he is our grandpatron, was Jonathan from the South-South not our grandpatron?

He said further that government’s refusal to address the issue of land management, which he said is at the root of the crisis, had been fuelling the crisis.

In Ondo State, the governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Monday gave a seven-day ultimatum to herdsmen to vacate all forest reserves in the state, saying kidnapping and other nefarious activities had been traced to the activities of some bad elements masquerading as herdsmen.

“These felons have turned our forest reserves into hideouts for keeping victims of kidnapping, negotiating for ransom and carrying out other criminal activities,” he added. But the Presidency and some northern groups faulted the directive. The herdsmen have also said they would not vacate the forest.

There was also increased tension in Igangan, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State on Friday when a Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Igboho, reportedly stormed the Fulani settlement in the town to eject the Seriki Fulani, Salihu Abdukadir, and some other herdsmen accused of fuelling security problems in the area, having issued a ‘quit notice’ to them earlier.

Alhassan added, “Government needs to be careful, and the real issue at stake is basically that of land resource management. These herders don’t have land and they do their business on land resource and we have a lot of land in this country. What we are saying is that the government should create an alternative for them.

“We need to modernise cattle grazing and the government needs to have an input because land belongs to the government. You can’t do ranching without land. Modernising it is a key solution to this and the government has a key role to play.

“We must accommodate the herders in Nigeria, whichever arrangement, because that is the sustainable way to peace. Create a sustainable land use policy where you accommodate people that have a need for the land. Create grazing land for these people and create laws that would govern them. If we don’t solve this problem, we will be complicating it.”

Alhassan however warned that further attacks on the herdsmen might be pushing them into rebellion. “Our fear is for these people not to be radicalised, and people who accuse herders of committing crimes should get the security agents to arrest and prosecute them,” he added.

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Yeye dey smell.

left kidney for sale plz I want leav dis country...no jokes

Really?

OK

This is a great and welcome development. Any body who opposes this is the enemy of Nigeria. IPOB can put their demands too for their biafra

. Fear of igboho....

IS THE BEGINING OF SUNDAY!

Devolve powers to the states and give us a credible electoral process that ensures that we can vote from our homes

Miyetti Allah your Buhari doesn't control allocation of land, state governors do. And that is the saving grace of this country, otherwise fulani herdsmen would have conquered the south too.

The truth is that the fulanis have been throwing out this "take it, or leave it" alternative since independence. Nigeria could have gotten independence before the likes of Ghana and the rest but the fulanis insisted they were not ready and the rest of the country had to wait for more years till they were ready! They actually threatened to go away if their demands were not met. After the coups in 1966, the north declared "Arewa", and wanted out! Gowon made a speech where he vigorously canvassed for division! It was Southerners, who always thought the northerners were illiterates and culturally naive and so vulnerable to manipulations that encouraged them to hang on, disrespect the aburi accords and ultimately go to war to keep Nigeria one!

During Jonathan's last days in office, the northerners also threatened that if the presidency was not handed over to them, they will secceed! Startled as usual, the rest of the country once again went to work and made sure they handed the presidency on a platter to the sons of Fodio! So you can't blame them! They practically contribute nothing for free in this country but always play the tough card because down south, there are some sections of the country who badly need their numbers and violent ways to help them in the looting expedition that's going on in the Niger Delta oil and gas fields! The northerners know this and so are basically blackmailing these perennial oil theives with these kind of outbursts in order to stay relevant politically..

AsomughaChuks02:
Miyetti Allah your Buhari doesn't control allocation of land, state governors do. And that is the saving grace of this country, otherwise fulani herdsmen would have conquered the south too.

southwest alone ... there's a deep generational hatred for anything north by an igbo man so they can't dare to come closer

Brooklynsouth:
southwest alone ... there's a deep generational hatred for anything north by an igbo man so they can't dare to come closer

The fear of SW is the beginning of wisdom.

kiss the truth!

Bororo fulani are settlers in Nigeria..so where and which state would they call there own once the disintegration happens...?

The idiot saying rubbish...

You are free to go to your fucking futan jalon, we don't want you again on our land.

owobokiri:
The truth is that the fulanis have been throwing out this "take it, or leave it" alternative since independence. Nigeria could have gotten independence before the likes of Ghana and the rest but the fulanis insisted they were not ready and the rest of the country had to wait for more years till they were ready! They actually threatened to go away if their demands were not met. After the coups in 1966, the north declared "Arewa", and wanted out! Gowon made a speech where he vigorously canvassed for division! It was Southerners, who always thought the northerners were illiterates and culturally naive and so vulnerable to manipulations that encouraged them to hang on, disrespect the aburi accords and ultimately go to war to keep Nigeria one!

During Jonathan's last days in office, the northerners also threatened that if the presidency was not handed over to them, they will secceed! Startled as usual, the rest of the country once again went to work and made sure they handed the presidency on a platter to the sons of Fodio! So you can't blame them! They practically contribute nothing for free in this country but always play the tough card because down south, there are some sections of the country who badly need their numbers and violent ways to help them in the looting expedition that's going on in the Niger Delta oil and gas fields! The northerners know this and so are basically blackmailing these perennial oil theives with these kind of outbursts in order to stay relevant politically..

oga, everything wey u write here na wash o.

Exactly what we have been saying

As if they mean it !

Exactly what we have been saying , they have gone to check sunday and they know he is not an ordinary meat.
Good riddance to bad rubbish

South would keep attacking killer herdsmen, we want your retaliation, let scatter everything.
Nobody has monopoly of violence



Alhassan however warned that further attacks on the herdsmen might be pushing them into rebellion. “Our fear is for these people not to be radicalised, and people who accuse herders of committing crimes should get the security agents to arrest and prosecute them,” he added.

But u said u own every piece of land....

.

Zonex1:
left kidney for sale plz I want leav dis country...no jokes

Why not sell your balls?

Help2020:

Why not sell your balls?

hw u take kw sef balls for sale ojhare

Lol

Zonex1:
left kidney for sale plz I want leav dis country...no jokes

I'm only buying the two

TimeManager:

The fear of SW is the beginning of wisdom.

kiss the truth!

You can say that again.

KingAlayinde:


I'm only buying the two

nooo two go pain me for chest cum tak liver

Restructure can never make Nigeria great. we are never one.

Why we de make noise sef.....The solution is simple like ABC.

Southern Nigeria should just adopt the method of killing the trespassing cows mysteriously using supernatural means...

Wetin all the jazz de for?

You can also poison the leafs and water using deadliest chemicals than ota pia pia. But to do these you must warn your people not to go tow their grazing routes.

By the time over 10,000 cows died. Nobody will beg Fulani to leave .......

Go their way where exactly? . Fulanis can't even be an item of discussion in restructuring , the Fulanis need to know their nomad lifestyle is at the pleasure of the land owners