#TrackNigeria: The Arewa Defenders Forum (ADF) has cautioned Chief John Nnia Nwodo, President General Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide to be mindful of his religious propaganda against Buhari Presidency and Northern youths.
The group in a statement by its National President, Nuruddeen Alkasim made available to Newsdiaryonline on Sunday,claimed that Nwodo was a desperate politician begging for recognition in the media by hiding behind his hatred against the North through open and vicious attack on the Ruga policy.
The ADF, which rose from an emergency meeting in Kaduna, expressed disappointment over the Ohanaeze leader’s claims of “Islamization and Fulanization” of the country because of a Ruga proposal designed to bring an end to suspicious killings in which the name of Fulanis are used, including their Northern identity for political convenience.
“Let someone tell Nwodo that it was the same Fulani he so hated that once picked him up ..and made him Minister,” the group said.
It also described Nwodo as “a willing tool in a calculated agenda of destroying the North, riding on religious and ethnic sentiments,” it stated.
Furthermore, the group said Nwodo had only succeeded in exposing himself as one of those Southeast elites that had lost touch with reality; who do not want an end to the massive killing of Northerners by people masquerading as herdsmen, in an orchestrated agenda to kill agriculture, threaten Food Security of the region, its safety and generally run down the Northern economy.
“We support the Coalition of Northern Youth Groups’ stand on the need to have the Ruga settlements in order to reduce the mobility of cattle breeders, so that the terrorists sponsored to destabilize the North would finally be exposed for who they really are”, the group said.
The group also took exception to the call by the Ohanaeze leader, that all Igbos should “be ready to defend themselves”, adding that “by this the Ohanaeze leader has made a call for resort to arms”.
It urged the Federal Government to “keep an eye on all those Southern elites opposed to ending the killings in the North and investigate if they have no links to circulation of the arms used in killings and razing of villages”.
The group also reacted former Minister and virulent critic of the Ruga policy, Fani Kayode saying, they were not surprised by his utterances because it has always been his style on issues to do with Northern interest.
“Virtually every Federal Government policy capable of stabilizing the North or promoting justice, fairness and national unity becomes the butt of Fani Kayode’s vitriolic media attacks. It was therefore not surprising to us that the coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has become his new target of media bashing,” the group posited.
The group also argued thus, “coming from the only part of Nigeria that has so far enjoyed more than enough economic and political patronage, with our son, President Buhari in charge of the reigns of power, it is in fact shameful, and veiled hypocrisy that Fani Kayode would openly insult the North, which gave them unlimited access to opportunities as a strategy for promoting national unity and stability.”
“Truth is that the CNG campaign for rescuing the North was directed at the Federal Government and not some confused Ohanaeze leader or a see-nothing- good-in-North Fani- Kayode” the ADF declared in the statement.
They called on the Ohanaeze leader and his collaborators, notably Fani Kayode, to end their politically-motivated, senseless campaigns and allow the Federal Government proceed with its agenda for peace through the proposed Ruga policy.
“We dare say that this is one beautiful policy that has thus far got the total support of prominent Nigerians, including groups of elder statesmen like the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and scores of civil society groups from the South,” the ADF pointed out.
The group warned persons or groups opposed to ending the killings in the North to desist, saying “it presupposes that there are hidden interests that are against a viable solution to the region’s multiple security and other challenges and this could all be deliberately planned dangerous schemes by a section of our elites who might have drafted Nwodos and Fani Kayodes.
“While we warn these three serial attackers of both Northern and national interests, we urge the Federal Government to bring back that proposal to the table, because it is a window of opportunity for job creation, food security and ending the mysterious killings in the North, for which the media is being willy-nilly used, in order to portray or openly tie the Fulani and their cows together as the major threat to national security. This is pedantic, pedestrian and totally unacceptable,” ADF stated.
