By Raph McJulius Enechi
The fulani herdsmen menace has become a reoccurring decimal and a sour point in our country’s chequered existence and history, and even made worse by recent events.
While some state governors of some seriously affected states chose to play the proverbial rat that went playing while his house was on fire, the Ekiti State Governor Mr. Ayodele Fayose has assumed the role of the Akogun and Areaonakakanfo -Generalismo in the battle against the invading jihadist of what seems to be a covert continuation, a subtle quest for the Islamisation of non Muslim practicing areas of Nigeria.
Even Fayose’s greatest critics cannot question his bravery and courage in confronting the dictator in civilian garb, feeding this nation with garbage.
Ekiti is among the least and most recently attacked and yet through the sagacity of his person he has put in place a law to protect his city. It takes the sagacity of a leader to save his city from destruction, that’s is what Gov. Fayose has done with the Ekiti State anti grazing law passed by the state house of assembly in a record time.
After Ekiti State was attacked, Governor Fayose did not hurry to Aso Rock to shake President Buhari’s hands with both hands and smiling face with his face bowed to the earth like my state Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State did.
Rather, he stood up to the powers that be who have condoned all the atrocities being committed in many cities and villages across this nation by Fulani herdsmen.
He boldly told the backers of these marauding Islamist killers that he knew who they are and what is their agenda, he made it clear that he would not sit by idly and watch the people he govern slaughtered like worthless chickens to the admiration of some blood tasty power hungry religious bigots from the far north who wish to trample and convert us all to Islam by fire by force, just as their forefathers did to many defenseless people both in the north and across western hemisphere of this nation years ago.
It was such jihadist escapades that led to the Islamization and installation of an emir in Ilorin, a Yoruba state. Governor Fayose made it clear to these oppressors that the days of slavery under any guise is forever gone in our land, and he made good his words by the passing of that anti grazing bill by the state house of assembly.
GBURUGBURU OVER TO YOU
Truth be told, Nigeria is at war as far as what the nomadic cattle rearers are doing to unarmed and defenceless farmers across our dearly beloved country, and every leader that’s worth the true definition of leadership must be proactive, else the enemies will take them unaware.
The Fayose style in handling this menace is the best approach or strategy in the face of the nonchalant attitude of President Buhari and other hausa fulani controlled security agencies.
What is the Fayose strategy that I am talking about? It’s the strategy of dialoging and at the same putting your enemies at disadvantaged situation by making laws and creating situations that put your enemies in disadvantaged position and makes their operations illegal.
That strategy is also the one that makes you ever prepared to confront your foes, in that when sitting in a room discussing peace you are at the same time prepared and armed for any eventuality, knowing that the oppressors may have some unpleasant surprises up their sleeves. Again, that strategy is the one where you tell your enemies that as much as you want dialogue and peace, you are not cowardly or afraid of war.
Governor Fayose is not a coward, he has proved that by his actions and body language and, I want other governors to borrow a leaf from him.
After these satanic agents of death attacked my town, Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani LGA of Enugu north, what our governor did was visit our town to condole with and console the people, himself and numerous other individuals and organisations have also visited and provided relief materials.
This gestures and supports are encouraging but what I’m saying is that the state government should move beyond these paliatives and put in place structures, systems and laws to forestall such sad events from reoccurring in the future.
I want the government both at the state and federal level to commence work on the police headquarters promised our people. The state government should make security a matter of utmost priority by putting in more money in equipping the local vigilantes. This is because so far, the responsibility of equipping and catering for these neighbourhood watch and vigilante groups has been left to the town people.
I am emphasising on the state government because they hold the keys to solving this problem for our people, not the federal government. Anyone looking up to Buhari to do anything in this regard is chasing shadows, such person is only day dreaming, because Buhari is never going to equip or support any group of people to fight and defeat his fellow hausa fulani killers and foot soldiers. That is the reason why he has refused to condemn their atrocities until after the Nimbo attack.
What people outside Nimbo does not know is that the Fulanis attacked Nimbo again after the first and well reported case, this time around, killing one person and severely injuring another person, a man they met and attacked while working in his farm. This man would have been killed as well if not for the fact that he has fortified himself against gun shot and machete cut.
Governor Ugwuanyi should be more proactive in dealing with this matter, leaders should be proactive because lives are involved, no matter how you try to ameliorate, console or condole a people, lives lost cannot be restored. Consolation is not a solution.
That’s why I admire what the Anambra State Governor, Mr. Willy Obiano did in order to nip in the mud a brewing crisis between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers in a particular town. He made both parties to pay compensation to each other, for life lost, properties lost and cattle killed. The point I’m making here is that he for saw an impending crisis and intervened and made sure it never happened. But this cannot be said of the Enugu case, months before the Fulanis attacked Nimbo, our people knew they were coming to attack us, we were told, we cried out to the authorities but no one listened or even paid attention. No proactive measure was taken nor put in place to forestall the impending calamitous atrocity, until it happened.
I am not trying to condemn Governor Ugwuanyi here, I can’t even dare to do that else I will attract the wrath of people of Enugu north, because as far as they are concerned, Gburugburu is their beloved son in whom they are well pleased. But for me I dare to be different, I dare to strike a different cord.
I dare to differ in my opinion, even if I am in the minority. Let the majority carry the day but I refuse to give them my vote. Democracy is not biblical, and the majority could be wrong and, to be in the minority doesn’t make one a minor. In fact, it was as a result of the majority being wrong that Nigerians are suffering today, in that the majority of our people voted in the wrong candidate during the last general election.
I dare to say that Ugwuanyi failed my people, Nimbo people, and I don’t wish that what happened to us and recently to Akegbe people should happen to any other town or village in Enugu State again, hence Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi should ARISE AND SHINE NOW, protect his people, else history will remember him as the governor and Chief Security Officer who could not protect his people, but allowed invaders from the far north butcher them and got away with it.
I support his efforts to dialogue with the fulanis, but beyond that he should go steps further in putting some legislation in place to deter the activities of these Fulani herdsmen. Borrowing a leaf from Ekiti State will go a long way. Now is the time to act, and act decisively.
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Raph McJulius Enechi is a Prophet, Poet, Author and The Senior Pastor Of THE BALANCED CHURCH, Lagos, Nigeria.
He can be reached on Email: mcjuliusra@yahoo.com
