Ayodele Olalere
A spokesperson for former Nigerian President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has carpeted the Presidency, the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, and the spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu for ordering Fulani herdsmen not to obey the directive of Ondo State governor to vacate the state’s forest.
It is recalled the state governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu had issued a seven-day ultimatum to unregistered Fulani herdsmen in the state to vacate Ondo forest following several cases of kidnappings and killings allegedly perpetrated by the herdsmen.
However while reacting to the directives, Garba Shehu, speaking on behalf of the Presidency warned the governor against such directives, saying it could cause a crisis in the country. He argued the Fulani herdsmen have the right to operate in any parts of the country.
The Northern Elders Forum and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Rearers had also ordered their men to ignore the governor’s directive.
While reacting on his verified Twitter handle@renoomokri, the spokesperson to former President Goodluck Jonathan called out the Presidency for the double standard, saying the refusal of the Presidency to react to cases of intimidation of other tribes in the north amounts to a double standard
“When Kano Hisbah destroyed beer parlours/hotels owned by Igbos, neither #Buhari, nor @GarShehu nor Northern Elders Forum talked. But when @RotimiAkeredolu asks unregistered herdsmen to leave Ondo forests, they all shouted. Is this a government for all Nigerians or just herdsmen?” he asked rhetorically
“Buhari is emotionally attached to herdsmen. He will never protect Nigerians from them. If they kill you, the highest he will do is an express shock. Shock can’t bring you back to life.
@RotimiAkeredolu must insist on regulating them just as Kano regulates alcohol! Equality or division.
Where there is injustice, there can NEVER be unity. Justice left Nigeria in 2015. If Kano can regulate alcohol sales, then Ondo must regulate unregistered herdsmen living in forests. Nobody (herdsmen or other Nigerians) should occupy a forest as if it is their father’s property, ” Omokri said.