Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

The pan-Yorba socio cultural organisation, Afenifere, has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed cattle ranches in the six states of the South West geo political zone and other Yoruba speaking states, describing the proposed plan as an imperialist agenda aimed at cresting Federal Cattle Territories across Nigeria .

Rising from its monthly meeting held yesterday at the residence of its leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure, Ondo State, the group warned the Federal Government against imposing any unfavorable policy or idea on the nation.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and read by the national publicity secretary of the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, the Yoruba leaders insisted that “Cattle rearing is a private business and the Government has no business getting involved if there was no sinister.”

According to Odumakin, “No plot of land in Yoruba land will be available for such cattle ranch and no Governor should cede any land for such.”

The communiqué reads in part, “The meeting was  devastated  by the genocide that took place in Plateau State on Sunday in which  over 200 deaths occurred by eyewitnesses accounts, but the police admitted 100.

“These wanton killings and official irresponsibility portrays Nigeria as a barbaric entity and we Yoruba people are pained living in the same space with the bestial elements who kill innocent people in cruel manner.

“The images of little children killed mercilessly with open skulls make anyone with human blood flowing in his or her veins to shrink.

“We are further distressed that the response of President Muhammadu Buhari to the murder of hundreds of our citizens did not attract a word of sympathy or regret.

“It is very infuriating that the President’s response and that of Miyetti Allah appeared to have been authored from the same laptop.

“The Chairman of North Central zone of Miyetti Allah, Danladi Ciroma said the attacks were a retaliation for the loss of three hundred cows.

“President Buhari who is also the Grand Patron of Miyetti Allah who described the Fulani herdsmen terror as “herdsmen/farmers” clashes “(a case of two fighting but dead bodies only on one side) also repeated the missing cows.

“The President used the word “thugs”  thrice to describe protesting residents while admitting that  human life was becoming “increasingly cheap ” under his watch without  saying what he is doing to make it worthy or bring the herdsmen who have admitted killing people to book.

“He also repeated the blame game of “desperate people ” causing instability and chaos” in furtherance of the vain attempt by the administration to divert attention from Fulani herdsmen responsible for the serial murders.

“Three months ago, we did say that the President is afflicted by conflict of interests as Grand Patron of Miyetti Allah and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“It is the affliction that has seen him now functioning as a Miiyetti Allah godfather at a time he should be presidential .We asked him and we are calling on him to make a choice between the two.

“It is pointless at this stage making any demand on this incorrigible administration. We ask our people to  have special prayers  for the souls of all those killed  and for God to have mercy on Nigeria in  all our mosques on Friday 29th June in our churches, on Sunday 1st  of July, and for Him  to see us through the last few months of this administration .

“Politically, Nigerians must now gird  their loins and see the democratic uprooting of this administration as a task that must be done in 2019 so as to save the country from utter destruction.

“There is no land where the blood of the innocent is being shed  daily like Nigeria  that can make progress in any area of human endeavor,” Odumakin added.

Also, the foremost Yoruba group restated its call for the restructuring of the country, saying that no meaningful development can take place with the present composition of the country.

Odumakin said “We say without any reservation to Mr President that the call for restructuring is a selfless call borne out of the need to retrieve Nigeria from the brink of collapse and put It back on track.

“If the President talks about people with personal agenda on restructuring, it can only be those who insert it in their manifestos to win elections and turn around to say they are getting different definitions of  restructuring after they came to power.”

He insisted that for the country to move forward and develop, it has to be restructured into a proper federation .