Bala Mohammed accuses Orthom of negative perception of Fulani
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed accused his Benue State counterpart, Governor Samuel Orthom, and his “lack of foresight” of negatively regarding the Fulani shepherds in the country.
Speaking on “The Role of the Media in Promoting Peace and Unity in Nigeria,” which marked the closing ceremony of the 2021 Chapel Correspondents ‘Week hosted by the Bauchi State Council Correspondents’ Chapel of Nigeria Journalists Union, the Governor complained that herding cattle are poorly managed by the Governor Benue State.
He warned Orthom and some southern governors to beware of their controversial statements and policies so as not to threaten the peace and unity of the country.
He said: “Unconstructive criticism generates a lot of hate, and sometimes we are ready to go to the press on issues that divide us. I will tell you something to my colleagues about the peasant-shepherd clashes in Nigeria: he (Governor Ortom) started it all.
“If you don’t accept other tribes, problems will arise because we are also placing other tribes in Bauchi and other places. We have many farming tivas in Alkaleri, Tafava Baleva and Bogoro in Bauchi State. Did someone tell them to go? No, because they have the inalienable right to be here.
We have people who have lived in Bauchi for over 150 years, even before the birth of Nigeria. Nobody asks them to leave, and some of them have become permanent secretaries in the governments of Bauchi, Borno and so on. “
“You’ve seen what our colleagues are doing in the Southwest and Southeast states. We told them in all humility that they were wrong. But my brother and the other Governor of Benue State, Governor Hortom, are most mistaken, ”he said.
The governor also complained that the country’s shepherds, especially the Fulani, were being vilified, despite the fact that most of them were victims of cattle thieves who expropriated their property and had no choice but to bring AK47. Because society and government are not protecting it. “
“Something that is so bad and can destroy us, something that threatens the peace and unity of the country, we should not play with it. In this regard, I must thank the Governor of the Plateau State, Simon Lanlong, for promoting peace in the country.
Although Lalong is a minority, he chairs the northern governor’s forum, Lalong is focused and driven by unity. We need people like Lalong because the struggle between shepherds and farmers in Plateau State ended because of justice and fairness, because of patriotism and commitment to the community and fostering understanding between different ethnic groups, and this is what we do in Bauchi … Everyone is important and therefore the media must ensure that they promote unity and peace in the country, ”he added.
Earlier in his speech, President of the Chapel of Correspondents, Ahmed Mohammed, warned journalists against abusing their constitutional powers to disunite and displease Nigerians.
“I would like to urge our esteemed colleagues to be more careful in their reports. A misspelled headline could cause a fire that could burn an entire nation or cause irreparable harm to the community or affected people. You may feel like it might disprove history, but news is like oil: you can try to reverse a spill, but you may never get everything back, ”the president said.
Source: – Vanguard
