By Abiola Olawale
Following the meeting of the Southwest Governors and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) on Monday, the Yoruba Council of Youths and Women Worldwide (Igbimo Apapo Yoruba Lagbaye) has condemned the Governors over the “modus operandi” of the meeting as they described the move as the one targeted at political gains and not to address the core issues that have continued to bring strife.
The Yoruba group who blamed the Governors for prioritising their political ambitions at the expense of the security of the Yoruba nation also rejected the resolutions of the meeting.
This was contained in a statement made available to The New Diplomat on Wednesday, by the President of the Yoruba group, Oladotun Hassan.
It would be recalled that the Governors and MACBAN reportedly reached a pact at the meeting to end open grazing, as well as night and underage herding in Southwest.
But the Yoruba group has expressed doubt on the resolutions as it noted that it wont lead to lasting peace, adding that invitations were not extended to the youths and affected communities who bear the brunt of the incessant attacks.
The group flayed the Governors for failing to solicit for evidences of the several attacks said to have been carried out by the herders on locals, noting that at such meeting an agreement should have been reached to set up a panel of enquiry to deeply look into the matter and serve justice.
The statement reads, “We are confronted with a huge cloud of doubts about the recent resolutions of the meeting held on Monday 25th January, 2021 in Ondo State at the instance of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association alongside our Southwest Governors under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors Forum. We frowned at the melancholic nature and joking atmosphere of the whole meeting (clapping and laughter galore), provokingly premeditated towards grudgingly lampooning at the good people of the Southwest as ‘mere beef eaters and party freaks’, beyond looking at our complaints, grievances and injustices records of deaths, kidnappings, rapes and sexual harassment of our wives, old and young girls, while as a matter of necessity we expected an immediate arrests and prosecution of all reported and searched culprits….We frontally condemned and detest the ‘modus operandi’ of the meeting that was only converged at the detriment of the oppressed and slained victims of the so called hosted herders. What a ‘double jeopardy’. Our Governors only represented their selfish political gains and yearnings, we expected extended invitations to the youths and affected communities to bring fought evidences via the setting up of a panel of enquiries rather than paying lips service and equally playing into the gallery of shames.”
The Yoruba group also distanced itself from the resolutions of meeting, insisting that all the herders that are given to violence and criminality should vacate the Yoruba nation.
The statement reads, “We aggressively frowned and distanced ourselves from the entire resolutions by the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, inevitably this is a gross monumental failure of people’s trust and values. Based on the premise, we laconically reiterate our stands that we are not going back on the full vacation order against all culpable Fulani herdsmen in Yoruba land, until Justice is manifestly meted out against the culprits, who are well known to the entire gallery of attendees of the meeting held on 25th January, 2021. We are pleased to serve this final notice of warning that in view of the meeting held by the Governors, our fears grow by each seconds of the day, based on the continuing wreckage of criminalities perpetrated by the Fulani herdsmen in our bushes, roads, towns and villages.”
In addition, the group also expressed solidarity with O’odua activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly know as Igboho and called on the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to retract the arrest warrant against him. The group commended his courage in ensuring that peace is restored back to the Southwest.
The group further said: “We hereby reiterate our support for Chief Sunday Adeyemo Igboho’s unwavering bravery even when his arrest warrant is yet to be vacated by the IGP led Garba Sheu, whom we perceived as traitor for acting in complicity with the terrorists at every given time of subtle reprisals. We therefore call for the immediate vacation of Chief Sunday Adeyemo Igboho’s arrest, while he be granted support to chase out all terrorists perpetrating evils in the entire Yoruba nation.”
It would be recalled that the Governors of the Southwest met with the Miyetti Allah following the crisis in the region as a result of the harassment, provocations, rapes, kidnapping, among other injustice suffered by people in the region allegedly from the Fulani herders.
The meeting which held on Monday was aimed at calming the tension in Southwest.
