• President’s visit to Taraba, an
afterthought –Fayose
Kamarudeen Ogundele, John Charles
and Justin Tyopuusu
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday
said the crisis on the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State had claimed more lives
than that of the herdsmen killings in Benue and Zamfara states.
The President stated this during a
stakeholders’ meeting with representatives of ethnic groups and the Taraba
State Government at the Taraba Government House in Jalingo.
Buhari arrived at the Danbaba Suntai
Airport about 3.38pm accompanied by the Ministers of Women Affairs, Defence,
Information and Culture, some members of the National Assembly from the state
and Service Chiefs. He was received by the state Governor, Darius Ishaku.
He said he was in the state to
condole with the people and government of Taraba State over the killings in the
state, and called on the people to tolerate one another.
In the meeting, which lasted for
almost two hours, Buhari called on the traditional rulers to find ways of
resolving the crisis in the state.
“Governor Darius Ishaku and I are
here temporarily. We will go at the end of our tenure, but you are permanent
with the people at the grass roots.
“So, I charge you to go back and
find ways of resolving the crises in your domains. Go and give your people
justice for peace to reign.
“When I was campaigning, I came here
and promised to provide security, boost the economy and fight corruption.
“Today, even our worst enemy can
attest to the fact that the APC-led Federal Government has done well in the
area of security. We have decimated Boko Haram, while the fight against
corruption is going on well.
“I can only appeal to the conscience
of the people for them to embrace peace and live with one another in harmony so
that there could be development and not destruction.
“As a President, I have sources of
getting intelligence on happening across the country and so I should not be
expected to always go out to the field to make noise and insult the sensibility
of Nigerians before it would be known that I am taking actions against the
killings.
“There were more killings in
Mambilla than Benue and Zamfara states. I chose to visit Taraba first, but I
will be going to Benue and Zamfara after I return from Ghana to also condole
with the people,” he said.
While urging Nigerians to live in
peace with one another, the President called for the arrest and prosecution of
any herdsman caught with arms.
In his remarks, Ishaku thanked the
President for the visit and for approving the construction of the 3,050 Mega
Watt Mambilla Hydroelectric power project in the state.
The governor said the open grazing
prohibition and ranches establishment law in the state was part of the
solutions to ending herdsmen and farmers clashes, as well as cattle rustling.
“Mr. President, I want to thank you
for coming to sympathise with us, but I want to appeal to you to deploy more
security operatives, especially the police, in Taraba State to provide security
for my people.
“When the crisis started in Nguroje
on Thursday, there were only six policemen in the area and they could not do
much. So, I appeal to you to deploy more security men here to solve some of our
challenges,” he said.
Ambassador Emmanuel Njiwah, who
spoke on behalf of the Mambilla people; Alhaji Mafindi Danburam, who spoke on
behalf of Miyetti Allah; and Dr. Afraid Kobiba, who spoke on behalf of the
people of Lau, called for justice as a solution to ending insecurity in the
country.
The chairman, Taraba State Council
of Chiefs and the Aku Uka of Wukari, Dr Shekarau Angyu Massa Ibbi, who spoke on
behalf of the traditional rulers, advocated constitutional roles to enable them
to help in dealing with the security situation in their domains.
Groups fault President’s claim on
Mambilla crisis
Social cultural groups in Taraba
State have faulted the claim of the President that more people were killed in
the Mambilla plateau crisis than those of Benue and Zamfara states.
A representative of the Yangdang
Cultural Association, Dr Afraid Kobiba, who spoke to our correspondent after
the meeting, expressed shock over the President’s claims.
Kobiba said he had made presentation
before the President where he highlighted that 68 people were killed in Lau,
while 15 were still missing in the crisis that happened in January 2018 in
addition to other killings that had taken place in the state in the past.
“We have written to the governor
about the killing of our people by Fulani herdsmen and we copied the National
Security Adviser, Director General DSS, Ministers of Interior, Defence and
Justice and other relevant agencies, yet the President was mute about the
killings in Lau where 63 people were given mass burial in one day.
“I don’t know where he got his facts
from, but I think he was misinformed about the crisis in Taraba State,” he
said.
President General of Tiv Cultural
and Social Association, Chief Goodman Dahida, in his reaction, said the
President’s claim was unfortunate.
Dahida said over 100 people were killed
in Wukari, Gassol, Ibi and Lau in Taraba State, while dozens were killed in
Adamawa; and hundreds others in Benue State, which did not attract the
attention of the President.
“The President just told Nigerians
where he belongs and the people he belongs to. He is specific about Mambilla
killings because his kinsmen were involved.
“Killings have been going on in Taraba State
and other places by Fulani herdsmen, but he has not visited any of these
places.
“In June last year, he sent his
cronies to visit Mambilla because the Fulani were reportedly affected in the
crisis. I think the President should grow pass ethnic favouritism and treat all
Nigerians as one. Every life of Nigerian counts,” he said.
‘Buhari’s visit to Taraba, an
afterthought’
The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele
Fayose, has described President Buhari’s visit to Taraba and planned visit to
Benue, Zamfara, Yobe and Rivers states, which have recorded different forms of
killings this year, as an afterthought.
According to him, the President is
more concerned about his re-election in 2019 and his visit to those states is
to seek votes and not to sympathise with the people.
Fayose likened Buhari to a selfish
king who went on making merry while his people were in agony only to show up
when the people had already buried their loved ones that were gruesomely
murdered, got over their anguish and moved on with their lives.
Fayose, in a statement on Monday by
his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka,
said it was the height of cruelty that the same President, who promised to lead
from the front in the fight against Boko Haram, could not visit Dapchi, Yobe
State, where 110 schoolgirls were abducted by insurgents, but went on merry
making in Kano.
“On January 9 and 12, this year, 83
victims of herdsmen attacks were given mass burial in Taraba State. Also on
January 11, 2018, another 73 persons were killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen
in Benue State were buried in a mass grave in Makurdi, the state capital.
“In Taraba and Benue states alone,
161 Nigerians were given mass burial within three days! This never caught the
attention of our President. Rather, it was a visit to Nasarawa, a neighbouring
state to Benue that was important to him.
“Apparently, it was the negative
reactions of Nigerians, especially on Social Media and the effects on the
President’s re-election bid that necessitated his hurried visit to Taraba State
today; and planned visits to Benue, Zamfara, Yobe and Rivers states,” the
governor said.
While declaring the visits as
belated and an afterthought, Fayose said Nigerians could no longer be deceived
by a president who never cared for them when they needed him most.
“No amount of hurriedly organised
campaign visits will sway the people who never saw the president to protect
them from being killed,” he added.
Buhari owns Nigeria, he can visit us
anytime –Ortom
The Benue State Governor, Samuel
Ortom, has said President Buhari is the father of the nation and he can visit
any state of the federation anytime.
Ortom who spoke through his Chief
Press Secretary, Terver Akase, said Benue is part of Nigeria where the
President could visit.
When asked if the government was
happy with the visit and its expectations, Terver, on behalf of his boss, said,
“The president is the owner of the country and he can visit any part of the
country any time he so wish.”
Dapchi girls: Presidential committee
visits Yobe
Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe has
called on the Federal Government to intensify aerial surveillance to rescue the
abducted Dapchi schoolgirls.
Gaidam made the call on Monday when
the Presidential Committee to unravel circumstances surrounding the abduction
of the students visited the state.
He commended the Buhari
administration for its zeal in fighting insurgency in the North-East.
He said the visit by four different
delegations sent by the Federal Government underscored its commitment towards
rescuing the schoolgirls.
He said, “I am optimistic that with
the kind of inspiring concern exhibited by the Federal Government, other
patriotic Nigerians and the international community, we will find the girls.”
Gaidam solicited comprehensive
strategy to mop up the remnants of Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.
The Chairman of the committee, Rear
Admiral Victor Adedipe, said he and other members of the committe were in the
state to hold dialogue with stakeholders to uncover circumstances surrounding
the abduction.
Meanwhile, the Dapchi Youth
Development Association has declared total support for the ongoing efforts by
government to rescue the schoolgirls.
A communique signed by Alhaji Baba
Shehu, Secretary of the association, called for cooperation with the committee.
“While rescue efforts are ongoing,
we urge the Yobe State Government to decide the fate of the over 800 girls that
escaped the abduction and returned home following closure of the school,” it
added.
Comments
Post a Comment