By BASHIR ADEFAKA
“In the end, they needed to result to generation of evidences to back up their “Fulanisation and Islamisation” Agenda claims, thus the rush to the Press each time any crime is committed in South West or East Nigeria to say the criminals are Fulani herdsmen.”
Wonder shall never cease to happen. As some Southerners, particularly of South West Nigeria, are hellbent on shifting the responsibility of their respective states’ governments in providing security of lives and properties – for which they regularly get huge, unaccounted security votes at regular intervals – now to the Federal Government, there are still quite good number of people from regions of that part of the country, who insist on truth and seeing the true position of things exposed for the love of country.
Recall that the Federal Government, currently sitting, ensures the states have Army Guard Brigades, State Police Commands, State Security Service Commands and other necessary security and safety arms required to achieve the security control in their domains. Per adventure for cheer deliberate ignorance or established mischief, none of these states’ governors is mentioned or tied to it when there is security issue in his state. In Vogue presently, therefore, is cries of FULANI herdsmen being the sole security risk and breach to the country. But why?
What I found out is that, the man at the helms of affairs is both a Muslim and Fulani and, in line with an Olusegun Obasanjo-led coalition campaign strategy to weaken the government such man heads, making and painting his Fulani tribe and Islamic religion as the sole security risks to the entire country is mission accomplished.
Unfortunately, Obasanjo, who has his marks and name well inscribed in all that meant destruction for Yoruba’s development in Nigeria’s political, economic succeses, socio-cultral tranquility and ethno-religious peace, unity and harmony, has lured some Yoruba into believing that if they can support him, he would lead the race to take over the leadership control of Nigeria from the Hausa/Fulani “dominance” and hand it to the Yoruba Race of the country. And knowing that Yoruba’s South West has a way it politically balance national spread percentage at elections, Obasanjo’s intention is create image problem for All Progressive Congress (APC), whose Government is currently led by Fulani’s Muhamnadu Buhari, so that in years ahead, with enblock Igbo’s South East permanent hate for Hausa/Fulani leadership, so he thinks, whatever political structure, which “must not” be led by Hausa/Fulani or Muslim, that he will annoint will have a smooth sail back to power in 2023. This is the reason the anti-Fulani campaign is stronger in South West than in any other geopolitical zones of Southern Nigeria.
The irony of this Obasanjo’s sectional and self-based game is that, he has given an impression that a good number of Northerners are behind him. We demanded those Northerners behind him to be named either in camera or outside of it. What we got were Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, Zamani Lekwot and Dogoyaro, all of who not only have once been described, according to one of their own in the media, as “Retired Christan Generals” but also have today formed themselves into a National Christian Elders’ Forum (NCEF) that has held sway for Obasanjo’s coalition at the religious front.
They claimed President Buhari’s stay in power is to implement a “Fulanisation and Islamisation” Agenda, which authenticity is available only within the figment of imagination of the claimants. We told Nigerians these claimants are liars and they believed us. They (the Obasanjo’s footsoldiers in Afenifere, Ohaneze Ndigbo and Middle Belt and NCEF) took their claims, rejected in Nigeria, to the United Kingdom Parliament. We again moved all out to tell anybody that cared to listen, globally, not only that Nigeria is a sovereignty but also that there is no iota of truth in what those supposedly Nigerians took to UK Parliament. They believed us and turned down their claims.
In the end, they needed to result to generation of evidences to back up their “Fulanisation and Islamisation” Agenda claims, thus the rush to the Press each time any crime is committed in South West or East Nigeria to say the criminals are Fulani herdsmen. It was the same reason even attacks on a Catholic Church killing many during service in Anambra State about a year and months ago were hurridedly blamed on Fulani herdsmen before the truth later turned out to be that those Church killings were caused by some feuds among some rich and influential members of the state community. How many of those who wrongly tagged Fulani herdsmen for same attacks have apologized till today? How many of the media editorials have demanded for such deserving apology? This is wicked!
Yet another one is the killing of Mrs Funke Olakunrin, daughter of Afenifere Leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, whose perpetrators Yinka Odumakin, self-acclaimed Spokesman of Afenifere, hastened to the Press to name as Fulani herdsmen. The hypocrisy of the Odumakin’s claim is that the killing of Madam Olakunrin occurred in Ore, Southern Zone of Ondo State which is the axis dominated by Niger Delta militants known write well to have been robbing, kidnapping and killing innocent people for long. Odumakin has since tactically changed his claim of “death by Fulani herdsmen” to “death by assassins”. The police had earlier dismissed his claim and said she was killed by suspected armed robbers.
This dangerous misrepresentation was also fully backed particularly by Punch Newspaper, known for its penchant for anti-Islam and anti-Northern Nigerian editorials. The moment the truth of that unfortunate killing started coming, media screams over claim of death by Fulani herdsmen subsided but no single demand has come for apology to the misinformed Nigerians and the offended Fulani tribe. This is wicked!
But for how long would Obasanjo and his newly found Yoruba love of Afenifere continue to drag Nigeria along inter-ethnic hate now being hyped by Punch? If this is the case, and it is truly so, where is the justification for his fight for unity of Nigeria as a soldier? I only blame President Buhari for one thing: He rules away from contribution of and consultation with his Hausa/Fulanisation tribe and Muslim Community, yet, the tribe and Islamic religion are now at the receiving end of the Hate Campaign tagged “Fulanisation and Islamisation” Agenda led by this Obasanjo’s coalition of Afenifere, Ohaneze, Middle Belt Forum and National Christian Elders’ Forum. At the last check, the Hausa/Fulani Race lost the highest number of lives so far to the security endangerment that these hate campaigns have caused this country. Yet, instead for the perpetrators of the hate speeches and musrepresentations to realise the evils they cause, all they now do is trying hard to prove how a Fulani man in power is incompetent and Fulani are on rampage to take over Nigeria. My question is, if a Yoruba or Igbo takes over the leadership of Nigeria in 2023, with all of these elements of wickedness that will haunt that ruling race, how does it intend to succeed?
In the course of my worry, I stumbled over a very nation building piece credited to Professor Pat Utomi, telling pecimistic Nigerians why they must not get involved in ethnic bias. Because I find it so much in line with our struggle for the restoration of peace, unity and development of Nigeria project and in tandem with our cautionary sermons scolding those sadists bent on inciting Nigerian tribes against one another, I have decided to adopt the piece in my WAKE UP column this time and I hope it hits the target it is programmed for.
Prof. Pat Utomi said:
Never get yourself involved in ethnic hatred or religious bias.
I’m a Christian from Niger Delta, but most of the things I’ve ever achieved occurred through the help of non-Christians and non-Niger Deltans.
1. I was actually looking for a way to get a banking license for a wealthy Nigerian so I approached one Fulani prince whom I’ve never met before. After telling him my mission, he told me that I should register my own bank instead of being another person’s agent for registering banks. I was shocked, wondering how an ordinary me will be able to afford the process of owning a bank. The Fulani prince told me that I should not worry, that he will get me a banking license and even arrange for wealthy Nigerians to patronise me as a help for me without demanding for any kobo. That was how Platinum Bank came into being through the help of a northern Nigerian I never knew in my life
2. I was a young graduate during Shagari Adminstration when one man came to my residence in a massive car with escorts and told me that the powerful Yoruba Chief Bayo Kuku wanted to see me in his supermansion in Ikoyi. I got there and the great Chief Bayo Kuku told me that he has always read what I wrote on taxation policies and he had personally discussed me with Nigerian Vice President Alex Ekwueme. He proceeded to ask me how much I will receive if I was told to write a single position paper for Ekwueme on taxation policies. Then, the price of Volkswagen Beetle was N2,000 so I told Chief Bayo Kuku it will cost Ekwueme N2,000. Chief Bayo Kuku burst into laughter and said: “…so, all those your grammar is only worth the price of a Volkswagen Beetle…?”
Chief Bayo Kuku then opened a briefcase, brought out N10,000 cash (brand new Mercedes Benz was then sold for N5,000) and gave me to write just one position paper, even though I’ve never met him in my life, and he was not even from my tribe
3. Chief Bayo Kuku took me to Vice President Ekwueme, and within one week of knowing Ekwueme, I was shocked one day when Ekwueme told me : “…lest I forget, President Shagari read your position paper and insists on employing to replace the professor that left his administration…”
This was how I became an employee of the Nigerian President Shagari (a Muslim Fulani) without having met him before.
4. When I was writing my PhD, I distributed my questionnaire as expected. One day, a man arrived in a big car with escorts and told me that his boss wanted to see me. I followed him and when we got to the boss, I was shocked to the marrow to see that the boss was the highly powerful Alhaji Alhaji. Alhaji Alhaji (a northern Muslim) told me that a fellow northern Emir read my questionnaire for my PhD and recommend that he, Alhaji Alhaji, employ me as his PA on financial matters. I couldn’t talk for almost 2 minutes because of the shock. You need to know how powerful Alhaji Alhaji was in those days.
Summary
I’ve been helped by Yorubas and northern Nigerians particularly Fulanis far more than my own Niger Deltans. Don’t allow anybody to push you into ethnic hatred and religious bias because you only stand to lose, not gain, from it.
Professor Pat Utomi, speaking to an audience in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria, yesterday 14th July, 2019.
On this note I draw the curtain on my piece for this time. The solution to insecurity that we witness lately in resident in all the tribes taking responsibility and guarding thelmselves away from blaming one tribe for their regional problems as there can never be lizard entering a wall except that there is a crack.
*WAKE UP is column article of Isolo Akure, Ondo State Prince and Lagos-based Media Practitioner, Bashir Adefaka. Reach him via 08163323906. Email: omope72@gmail.com.
