This conversation was prompted by the fact that I posted some grapahic pictures of the victims of the Fulani herdsmen in Agatu and Enugu. Those pictures can be seen on my friends page.
Muktari did not feel tjat it was appropiate to post the pictures and the following conversation took place between him and I on the thread. I believe that it was an interesting discussion which brought out two distinct and separate perspectives (if you like call them the northern and southern ones) to the whole herdsmen issue. Enjoy!
MUKTARI SHINKAFI wrote:
"Femi Fani-Kayode, since we already have senate and house of representatives in place, it will be easier to bring the issue next week of dividing Nigeria immediately after the budget issue.
The division of the country should be proposed based on six Geo-polical zones based on the following basis and natural / human resources to sustain each zone.
1 South south oil, sea port,
2 South west, service industry, sea port, agriculture
3 South east . Oil,, commerce
4 Middle belt. Agriculture, solid minerals
5 North east. Oil, agriculture
6 North west. Oil, strategic solid minerals, agriculture.
We in the north don't deserve these negative propaganda and names calling.
Let us separate peacefully for the sake of our children since even after the separation, we will be surely bonded together by commerce and personal relationship.
We have millions up there that we are friends through business, marrages etc. I dont think posting these pictures is necessary as no one is sure of their source, they may be accident victims but some people are posting them to propagate message of hate among us".
FEMI FANI-KAYODE responded:
"Muktari Shinkafi, Before I would post such pictures on my wall I have to be certain of their authenticity and in this case I am.
There are other pictures which are far worse and which I cannot post here. My brother, your people kill ours and we are not supposed to even complain about it or let the world know what is happening?
Enough of this madness. If the Fulani leaders cannot reign in their herdsmen and terrorists themselves then we will do it for them.
This barbarity has been going on in the Middle Belt and core north for years unchallenged and now you guys want to extend it to the south.
We will not take it, we will not allow it and we will not sit by idly as your kinsmen slaughter, rape and abduct our men, women and children and occupy our land.
It has been going on for far too long and now we are prepared to resist it. I agree with you that maybe it is time that we begin to consider the division of this country and the best way to start is simply to let the core north go its separate way first and leave the rest of us alone.
Either that or a clean north/south break. We in the south cannot be expected to continue to live peacefully with what the Global Terror Index has described as the first (Boko Haram) and the fourth (Fulani militants/herdsmen) most deadly terror organisations in the world.
They both come from the north and the so-called northern leaders would do well to look within, accept the fact that they have a major problem with their youth and try to fix it.
What baffles me is that most northern leaders are more concerned about the fact that these atrocities are being exposed before the world and evidence of it is being adduced than the fact that people are being killed.
They are very comfortable with it when the slaughter is being done in silence but when we scream about it they get upset. This strange and alien mindset is unacceptable to us.
If this rubbish goes on, sooner or later, the south will rise up as one together with our brothers in the Middle Belt and there will be a terrible reckoning.
I have no hate in me for anyone or any ethnic group and the truth is that one eighth of the blood that flows through my veins is Fulani.
You know very well that our leader and older brother, the Marafan Sokoto, brought me into politics in 1989 and I love him as if he were my father.
Yet the north no longer has strong and fair minded moderate political leaders like Marafan or President Shehu Shagari. That is the problem. If Marafan was President today this herdsmen problem would have been history and so would Boko Haram.
He would care as much for the south and the safety of its people as he would have for 5he north where he comes from. Yet how many northern leaders think like that today.
There are a few like Dangiwa Umar, Nuhu Ribadu, Kashim Imam, Sambo Dasuki, Ibrahim Turaki, Abubakar Atiku and a few others but not many.
What is in me and millions of other southerners and Middle Belters is not hate for the Fulani but anger: a very great and powerful anger that is growing by the day.
We trusted and loved you like brothers for the last 56 years but what have we got in return except for hate, violence, contempt, injustice, arrogance, the quest to islamise, Boko Haram, political domination and now cold blooded murder and the claiming of our lands by your herdsmen.
Nobody can take all that with a smile. Nobody can tell us to take it all and keep quiet. You are my brother and you always will be. We go back such a long way and it pains me to write all this.
Yet the truth is that if only the north could change its attitude and leadership we could all be one big happy family again.
Sadly though they will not because there are a few northern leaders who relish all that is happening today and who believe in the crushiing, destruction and subjugation of everything and everyone south of the River Niger".
No comments:
Post a Comment