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THIS must be a distressful season for Professor Wole Soyinka as Nigeria journeys through its peculiar season of Kongi and the madmen. The Prof has spent almost a lifetime teaching in the classroom as well as national and international fora to know well enough that some people are uneducable.
I am still deciphering the “leap of faith” that came upon him last week that he granted an interview to the BBC talking about the herdsmen war at our doorstep and dictating to President Buhari the words that should be flowing from his presidency at a moment like this.
Three days after he spoke, Mr Femi Adesina in a direct response to Gov Ortom who said Gen Buhari should stop portraying himself as Fulani President jabbed that prescient Buhari would become talkative if he had to be speaking on herdsmen who are not relenting in their nefarious activities every now and then .The herdsmen were back on an attack at Soyinka’s Abeokuta residence to practically show the war is at his doorst
TUESDAY WITH REUBEN ABATI
In the past week, in the South Western part of Nigeria, we have been treated to stories of conflicts in Ondo and Oyo States between herdsmen, identified as Fulani, and the Yoruba owners of indigenous communities. In Ondo State, the issue at stake is the conversion of the state’s forest reserves into a criminal space by herdsmen who violate the integrity of the reserves and a hide-out for kidnapping, extortion and killings. Governor Rotimi Akeredolu affirming his powers as the Chief Security Officer of the state gave a seven-day ultimatum to the herdsmen in the forest reserves to vacate the place immediately.
Sunday Igboho and the Yoruba Nation, By Reuben Abati 9 min read
The Igboho phenomenon deserves some close attention. Sunday Igboho showed up in the fight against criminal herdsmen in Oyo State because of the shocking absence of leadership. The state governor failed to defend the people’s interest. He did not stand up to the truth like Governor Akeredolu of Ondo State has done. He provided a vacuum, which a Sunday Igboho decided to fill.
In the past week, in the South-Western part of Nigeria, we have been treated to stories of conflicts in Ondo and Oyo States between herdsmen, identified as Fulani, and the Yoruba owners of indigenous communities. In Ondo State, the issue at stake is the conversion of the State’s forest reserves into a criminal space by herdsmen, who violate the integrity of the reserves and turn them into hide-outs for kidnaping, extortion and killings. Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, affirming his powers as the chief security officer of the State,
Governor Akeredoluâs âUltimatumâ
When I heard that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, learned Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had issued an ultimatum for all Fulani Herders/Herders to leave Ondo State, I thought it sounded bizarre, because like any other Lawyer, let alone a Senior Advocate, he is well aware of of Sections 41(1) & 43 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)(the Constitution) which guarantee our right to freedom of movement and acquisition of immovable property anywhere within Nigeria. I knew that he couldnât have made such an obvious and basic error. Not like some Northern Youths and their âKaduna Declarationâ of 2017, in which they issued an ultimatum for all Igbos to vacate Northern Nigeria by a particular date, or face reprisals; or those who have sought to expel Bishop Kukah from Sokoto, because of his Christmas Day Message.
In the past week, in the South Western part of Nigeria, we have been treated to stories of conflicts in Ondo and Oyo States between herdsmen, identified as Fulani, and the Yoruba owners of indigenous communities. In Ondo state, the issue at stake is the conversion of the state’s forest reserves into a criminal space by herdsmen who violate the integrity of the reserves and a hide-out for kidnaping, extortion and killings. Governor Rotimi Akeredolu affirming his powers as the Chief Security Officer of the state gave a seven-day ultimatum to the herdsmen in the forest reserves to vacate the place immediately. He also directed that the open grazing of cattle on main roads and within the city has been outlawed.