“Let us look at it like this way. Can any southerner go to the North and start unleashing mayhem as herdsmen have done in other parts of this country, no, it cannot happen.. You can imagine what they will do to such persons. Indeed, we are all Nigerians but the truth must be told. The reality on ground is that, Northern elders are economical with the truth and their stance does not hold water on the quit notice. Yes, the Yorubas are not asking for too much. The Fulanis should not be allowed to trespass on our land. They should stop the mayhem and killings” Sen. Okurounmu stressed.
With the seven days quit notice issued by the Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, to Fulani herdsmen to vacate Ondo State forest, as a result of their incessant invasion of farmland, kidnapping and killing innocent citizens, which the presidency has challenged the governor of having no right to issue such order. This has continue to create tension among the Yorubas and Northerners. Reacting to the notice is Sen. Femi Okurounmu, CON, an Afenifere elder and statesman, who applauded the governor for taking such action and warned that, if care is not taken, the issue may escalate to tribal war. The Senate spoke on a telephone conversation few hours ago from Ogun State with Afrikanwatch Network. Daniel Njienue reports
News/Interview, January 23, 2021
Excerpts
Do you support quit notice to herders
We have to look at the reasons why Fulani herdsmen were asked to vacate Yoruba’s reserve forest in Ondo and Oyo State. Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, didn’t just wake up one morning and say, he doesn’t like the face of the Fulani herdsmen, that they should vacate their forest. You must start from the reasons why the quit notice was given. Herders have destroyed our crops- farmers can no longer go to their farmland, as herders keep raping our women in the presence of their husbands. They kill our people wantonly without any repercussion, and when they kill our people, nothing seems to happen to them, because President Muhammadu Buhari seems to look the other way. You cannot rule out the fact that all these years, we have been complaining without solution. They say foreigners have infiltrated the system, yet, Buhari’s government remains in isolation. So, what do you expect governor Akeredolu to do? He has no option than to protect the safety of the people he pledged allegiance to.
Now, if you have strange elements killing your people in the forest reserve, what will you do? Even an Oba’s wife was killed, a professor was kidnapped and killed, the leader of the Afenifere’s daughter was kidnapped and killed. If you are the governor, what you would do. You will sit down and play politics with it. Haba, no.
But it is the alliance of the Yorubas with the Northerners that gave power to President Buhari.
I don’t want to comment on that. Who ever made you president is not the issue. Once you are a president, you are the president of all, and you are supposed to maintain law and order, and protect the life and safety of all Nigerians. You are not supposed to protect a section of the country killing others. I think at this stage, the President should maintain law and order-that is his primary responsibility. President Buhari should guarantee the safety of all and stop his people from killing other ethic nationalities in the country. He should tell them to stop destroying farmlands and crops and raping our women. That is the first thing the president should do. He should also ensure that the Police arrest those herders and prosecute them.
Sen. Okurounmu, CONLet us look at it like this way. Can any southerner go to the North and start unleashing mayhem as herdsmen have done in other parts of this country, no, it cannot happen.. You can imagine what they will do to such persons. Indeed, we are all Nigerians but the truth must be told. The reality on ground is that, Northern elders are economical with the truth and their stance does not hold water on the quit notice. Yes, the Yorubas are not asking for too much. The Fulanis should not be allowed to trespass on our land. They should stop the mayhem and killings.
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