By Sani Adamu Hassan
Let me start by expressing my profound appreciation to the Bauchi state Governor Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir for trying to protect the Fulani Citizens of Nigeria who were being criminalised and discriminate by some Governors in the south.
Governor Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir during the occasion of the Bauchi state Correspondents’ Chapel press week used the medium to comment on the incessant farmers herders clashes in Nigeria, where he pointed out that Benue state governor was the major culprit in excerbating the bad media framings, criminalizing the Fulani tribe in Nigeria.
The governor reminds Governor Samuel Ortom that other states in the north also accommodates other tribes, including his own tribe in Bauchi and other places. He said and I quote, “We have so many Tiv people farming in Alkaleri, In Tafawa Balewa, farming in Bogoro LGAs; has anybody told them to go?. “We have not; because it’s their own inalienable rights to be there.
“We have Yoruba people in Bauchi, for over 150 years, even before the birth of Nigeria; some of them have risen to become permanent Secretaries in the Bauchi State Civil Service, and other states of the North East like Gombe and Borno.“ And now because the Fulani man is practicing the tradition of pastoralism, he has been exposed to the vagaries of the forest, cattle rustlers who carry guns, kill him and take away his common wealth, which is the cows. “He has no option than to carry AK47 because the society and the government are not protecting him, what is his fault? it’s the fault of the government and the people.”
“You don’t criminalize all of them, because in every tribe, there are criminals. “If Cyber Crime is practiced by one tribe, you don’t criminalise all the tribe that they are criminals. “We should be very sensitive, and you as journalists, you must exercise restrain; you must decipher from wrongs and rights, something that is so bad, that can divide us, that can threatened our unity, you don’t do it”.
Governor Bala Mohammed also commended his Plateau State counterpart Simon Lalong for ending the mutual suspicion between fulanis and farmers on the Plateau without looking at political differences. He said, “I must comment the chairman of the governor’s forum, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State. “With his diverse background despite being a minority on the Plateau, he’s leading the northern governors with focus, with a lot of sense, and maturity.
“And we need people like that; the fighting between farmers and fulanis in the Plateau has stopped; you know why; because of justice and unity; because of patriotism; because of community engagement; because of governance that fosters understanding between the diverse ethnic groups on the Plateau.
“And that is what we are doing in Bauchi, everyone is important, the media must single out those people for promotion, not just the people that will speak from Ondo, or Ekiti that Fulanis should leave their forest. No body owns any forest, the forest is own by Nigeria; under section 23, 24 and 25, of the constitution, every Nigerian is free to stay anywhere”.
From the above statement, it shows that Governor Bala is a true leader who have the capacity to defend the rights of Nigerian citizens without showing ethnic bias, most especially that Bala Mohammed is not a Fulani by tribe, but a Bajari from Duguri district, Alkaleri LGA. He stands on his fit just to depend truth.
I have seen some reactions from the Benue state Governor Samuel Ortom stating that “he was disappointed by his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed who blamed him for the negative perception on Fulani herders.
He said, and I quote “It was surprising that a colleague, who took the oath of office to protect and preserve the Constitution, now takes the lead in violating provisions of the same Constitution by calling for lawlessness”.
Some News Media also misquoted Governor Bala Mohammed of supporting Fulani herdsmen to carry AK47 which was actually not mentioned in his statement, but this mischievous maker’s are trying to jorpadize his integrity in the eyes of the public, and this shall not prevail, God’s willing.
People should know that Fulani herdsmen are citizens of Nigeria like Tiv, Jukun, Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba among others, and they have the right to live anywhere within the country, but why should they be discriminated and criminalised,? Just because they are northerners rearing animals?
In every tribe and religion there are criminals. If Fulani herdsmen are accused of Kidnapping or arm rubbery, how many Yoruba, Tiv, Jukun are doing thesame criminal acts?
I want to used this this medium to call on government to intervene by stopping the discrimination and criminalisation against Fulani herdsmen in order to bring lasting solutions to all the problems affecting the security situation of the country, because some Nigerian governors have started politicizing it, some look at it from religious angle. But Insha Allah peace and unity will be back in Nigeria.
Fulani herdsmen are not Kidnappers!
Fulani herdsmen are not bandits!!
Fulani herdsmen are not arm robbers!!!
Long live Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state. Long live the federal republic of Nigeria.
Sani Adamu Hassan is a practicing journalist with Albarka radio Bauchi, a Freelancer with Baushe Daily times and Martafa FM Online.
