Northern govs shouldn’t play politics with herdsmen menace – APC elders

Published February 8, 2021
Saheed Olugbon
Peter Dada , Akure
The All Progressives Congress Elders Forum in Ondo State has asked the Northern Governors forum to look for why herders were migrating to the South from the North to cause problem and fix the challenge instead of playing politics with it .
The forum spoke on Sunday in reaction to the position of the Northern Governors Forum on notices to quit to killer herders in the South -West , saying every Nigerian had the right to live and do business in any parts of the country .
The northern governors in a statement the chairman of the forum and Governor of Plateau State, Mr Solomon Lalong , had said innocent herders were being punished for the crimes of some alleged killer herders.
But the Chairman of the Ondo APC elders Forum, Senator Olorunnimbe Farukanmi, said, “ The northern governors should rather look for the reason for the migration of Fulani herders from the northern parts of the country to the south , than playing politics with their failure to fix their geographical problems .
“ It is true that every Nigerian has the right to live and do business in any parts of the country but such co -habitation must not be at the detriment of host communities .
“ When the lives of host people are now been threatened , such co – habitation must be re -considered . ”
According to him , the southerners in the northern part of the country have remained law -abiding .
He said, “ In Kano for example , it is forbidden for anybody in some places to sell and drink alcohol and people from the south religiously complied with this ; but the Fulani herders in the south have been destroying farms and even killing the farmers, this should not be allowed to continue if we are to co – exist as one nation . ”
The former lawmaker called on the leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association to join the war against kidnappings and other crimes being perpetrated by some criminal elements among the herders.