David Attah, Kaduna
A group, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Fulani Socio- Cultural Association has risen in defence of Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed over his comments that herders’ possess AK47 rifle for self defence.
The governor’s comment that had incurred wide criticisms and condemnations from Nigerians.
However, the National Secretary, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Mr. Saleh Alhassan, described the Bauchi State helmsman as the only lone voice among his peers in the North in defence of Fulani pastoralists being persecuted across Nigeria.
The statement titled, ‘His Excellency Abdulkadir Bala Mohammed – Executive Governor Bauchi State: The Gradual Emergence of a Courageous Northern Leader,’ was authored by the association’s scribe and released in Kaduna on Thursday.
The organization carpeted Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State over his perceived hatred for the Fulani race, saying that Ortom’s achievement in office since 2015 to his “impoverished” citizens, was his “obnoxious” anti-open grazing law in the state.
Also, the Miyetti Allah group attacked the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.
They accused Akeredolu of being the brain behind the creation of ‘Amotekun’ allegedly unleashing terror on herders and Northerners in the Southwestern states of Ondo and Oyo.
According to the statement, the Bauchi state governor is the only Northerner that came out in the defence of Fulani pastoralists in many states against their means of livelihoods.
It noted that Bala Mohammed’s intervention on the ongoing farmer/herders’ conflict was simply to state the obvious devoid of the current “politicisation.”
The statement said, “Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed Executive Governor of Bauchi State has gradually emerged as the only lone voice among his peers in the North to come out openly in the defense of the Fulani pastoralists that are being persecuted across many states through enactment of negative obnoxious laws against their means of livelihoods and the issuance of illegal eviction notices from their places of abode against the constitutional provisions.
“Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has tread where angels are scared to tread in the past. He has taken what every politician will consider as political risk in the past by holding divergent views where others have failed or chicken out. “So his current position on the herders /farmers conversation is not strange or out of context.”
“And it is our believe that Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed should be applauded from providing this kind of purposeful leadership particularly to the north at this very trying moments in our nation history.
“Those attempting to silence him are only undertaking an exercise in futility as the majority of the northern masses particularly the pastoralists that have seen a leader and savior at this critical times are solidly behind him.”
On governors Ortom and Akeredolu, the association said, “Govenor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has refused to be like Governor of Benue State H.E Samuel Ortom……whose only evidence of dividends of democracy to his improvised citizens is the creation of obnoxious anti-grazing laws.
“He(Bala Mohammed)has refused to be like Governor of Ondo State H.E Rotimi Akeredolu who is a Senior lawyer (SAN) ..
“Akeredolu after creating an ethnic militia (Amotekun) that is now unleashing terror and mayhem on innocent herders and northerners living in the south-west against unconstitutional and blanket eviction notices for herders to vacate places where their livelihoods.
“Akeredolu will be held accountable for the ongoing genocide against innocent pastoralist and northerners living in the south- west.”