The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) yesterday tore into the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, dismissing its statement the on the recent kidnap of former Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), Chief Olu Falae, by Fulani herdsmen as not only reckless but unbecoming of a group like Afenifere.
The ACF said that the Afenifere statement demanding the abolishment of nomadic cattle rearing, and criminalizing the Fulani on account of the action of a few, was out of place.
“Nigeria has over 250 tribes and Yoruba is just one of them. For it to threaten other tribes just because of an alleged crime of some suspected herdsmen is unnecessary, emotional and contrary to the spirit and letters of the Nigerian constitution which guarantees free movement and association of citizens in any part of the country,” ACF said in the statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mohammad Ibrahim.
It said it “is embarrassed and disappointed with the communique issued by the respected pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, after its meeting of 29th September, 2015 held in Akure at the residence of its leader, Pa Rueben Fasoranti
“In November 2000 when some OPC hoodlums attacked Northerners in the Southwest region, ACF did not blame it on the Yoruba, rather it urged the government to arrest the perpetrators that committed the crime.
“ACF considers criminality in any form as a serious offence and strongly condemned the kidnapping of Chief Olu Falae a former presidential candidate of the joint ticket of APP/AD in the 1999 general election which the North overwhelmingly supported him.
“ACF has in the last six years consistently decried the insecurity situation in the country especially insurgency, kidnapping, ritual killings, armed robbery etc, but it has never blamed a tribe, people or region as responsible for such crimes, talk less of threatening their free movement or pursuit of their legitimate business and livelihood. The unity and peaceful coexistence of our people have always been the guiding principles of ACF in the Nigerian project above personal and emotional interests.
“ACF therefore appeals to Afenifere and all other socio-cultural organizations and individuals to always exercise some restraint and show maturity in reacting to situations in view of the complexity of our country.
“ACF equally calls upon the security agencies to not only intensify their effort in tracking down the kidnappers of Chief Olu Falae but also put in place preventive measures to forestall such frequent ugly incidents in the country.”
The ACF also expressed sadness over the multiple bomb explosions which rocked Maiduguri, Borno state, Nyanya and Kuje surburds of the FCT, Abuja last week, killing scores of innocent Nigerians.
Rather that face the reality the ACF is attacking AFENIFERE. Too bad. I suport AFENIFERE 100%. There are other ways of rearing cattle and not necessarily on another man's farmland while possesing weapons to kill, kidnapp, rape, murder the farm owner. If that is legitimate business in the north, it is not so in other parts of the country. In that sense let us go our seperate ways.I blame yorubas for voting a jihadist and a cattle rearer.
ReplyDeleteIt's always sad when problems are identified some Nigerians can't reason properly and come up with informed sensible and responsible solutions but start talking of mayhem and going separate ways.Fulanis' are Nigerians who are obviously flouting the laws,best suggestion would be to make sure the law enforcement agencies are made to deal with them swiftly and decisively.Once all the law enforcement agencies are equipped and properly trained they'll be able to match any sadistic individuals or groups be it Boko Haram,Kidnappers,Massob and others mentally deranged misfits fighting lost causes
DeleteACF, we heard you. However withdraw these young ones from all over the country and send them to school. They are embarrassing the nation.
ReplyDeleteNow I have come to understand the composition of this so called ACF, as containing cattle, sheep and goats. For ACF to conclude that Yoruba as a whole, is just a tribe out of 250 tribes in Nigeria, and to portray it a legitimate business for Fulani to be destroying other people's means of livelihood, maiming, robbing, kidnapping, and raping the people , speaks more about the falsehood on which ACF is established. I pray they don't put Yoruba to the wall.
ReplyDeleteAnd what if they push Yorubas to the wall, what are u guys gonna do about it? Huh? Answer me. U guys are too weak and docile. Igbos no dey accept this kind nonsense at all, at all. U people are just nothing but....educated "weakos"
DeleteIf u are a yoruba man saying this then u must be very stupid, u guys are really pathetic. For how long will the Igbos continue to tell u guys that these northerners are supposed to be on their own? For how shall u guys continue to jeopardise the efforts of the Igbos in placing these guys where they truly belong? For ur information in case u are a yoruba man, u guys have been pushed beyond the wall, even breaking the wall with ur back and there is nothing u guys can do, I dare u. Do ur worse let me see, useless race.
DeleteI was amazed by ACF's manner of approach . ACF took the matter from a wrong angle rather than hitting the nail on its head . ACF , I m sorry to say that U should think b4 talking and not vice versal . We are all talking about ruins to human life , property and future but U are reasoning anticlockwisely by saying ' JUST AN alleged crime ' . Can U pls explain to the entire Greatest Nation , Nigeria , how rape , multiple brutal killings and willingly destruction of poor, innocent and law abiding citizen's sweat /properties in the name of Ur ' JUST crime ' . Your men portrayed Ur names as bad , instead of curtailing then by withdrawing then back to Ur forest over there to practice their bloodily fatal business/ animalistic behaviour, U left them with us here as wild animals and trying to back them up with the unimaginable lie in Ur mouth . Withdraw Ur blood tast demon/animals/herdsmen back to Ur place for continuity of crime U said is ' JUST ' . leave us alone. Always think well b4 U talk bc U might not know who and who are listening .
ReplyDeleteI am an Igboman, I support Afenifere over their stand on this issue.
ReplyDelete