The
National Chairman of Gan Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria, Sali
Bayari, has explained that herdsmen carry arms to “have balance of terror.”
Bayari
lamented that the security chiefs and government failed to pay attention to
herdsmen and farmers clashes before the situation escalated.
Bayari
stated this on Saturday while meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo
at his residence in Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Oke-Mosan,
Abeokuta.
GAFDAN
stressed the need for the government and Nigerians to come together to find
solution to the herdsmen/farmers’ clashes.
He
said, “The issue has gone beyond herdsmen/farmers crisis; it has led to
kidnapping and banditry and if we are not careful, it may lead to a kind of
jihadist/militant group and that is what we fear.
“We
wrote several letters to the authorities even to the security chiefs, but we
don’t get any response.
“There
are times we begin to wonder whether the security chiefs are more interested in
the crisis than in peace.
“We
also discovered that there are some people who don’t want peace in this country.
We think they have various reasons or a particular interest that is making them
not to want peace to reign in the country.
“If
all your efforts toward achieving peace would be destroyed by those who are
supposed to give you peace, then you begin to look for another means and that
is what led to people (herdsmen) arming themselves to have balance of terror.”
The
Fulani leader, however, commended the former president for facilitating the
meeting to deliberate on how to tackle the security challenges.
He
added, “If we had another father like Obasanjo in all the regions, maybe we
will not be in this mess. What has brought us into this sorry state is the fact
that when a problem starts, the leaders are not always concerned until it gets
to the level of self-help.
“The
problem we have in this country is that our leaders do not read and therefore
not informed and that is why Obasanjo is different. He has made efforts more
than those in government.”
In
his response, Obasanjo urged everybody to be involved in the fight against
insecurity.
Obasanjo
also advised Nigerians to stop the blame game and come together to fight the
menace of kidnapping, banditry, among other social vices currently threatening
the country’s unity.
Speaking
about the meeting, Obasanjo said it became imperative to meet with the Fulani
leaders in the South-West
The
former president explained that the meeting was to deliberate and come up with
resolutions that could strengthen the unity of the country.
Obasanjo
added, “How to move Nigeria forward irrespective of our religion, ethnicity,
training, profession, among others is all came here to discuss.
“There
is nobody here who could do all these for us, it is the responsibility of you
and me.
“It
is not a one man’s job; it is the job for all Nigerians and it is until we see
it that way that we can now move forward.
“We
should stop passing blame, everybody is involved and everybody should all take
the responsibility to correct what is wrong and make it right.”
Also
present at the meeting was the spokesperson of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin and
representatives of the Fulani groups across the 36 states.
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