Abdullahi Hassan, Zaria
Forty-eight hours after the secretary of Gan-Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria, announced the rejection of the call by Northern Elders Forum (NEF) for Fulani to relocate to the North for their safety, the group’s national chairman, Alhaji Saleh Bayeri, has dismissed the secretary’s statement saying the association is fully backing the northern elders.
In a statement issued to newsmen titled “GAN- ALLAH Fulani Development Association disassociates itself from the attack on Northern Elders Forum” signed by the Alhaji Saleh Bayeri, the group said: “GAN- ALLAH wishes to disassociate itself from unauthorised unilateral and embarrassing press statement (interview) the National Secretary, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, granted THE NATION Newspaper on Sat 20 July, 2019, published on its front page where he condemned the respected chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) for advising Fulani to consider returning to the North where their safety would be guaranteed if indeed it is not assured in the South.
The statement lamented that the association’s secretary went ahead to speak on crucial national issues without authority or clearance from the national chairman.
“I want to state categorically that GAN-ALLAH was not only fully briefed about the matter, it was fully involved in all the deliberations of the NEF up to the final decision and position on the issue.
“That the decision by NEF was taken in good faith and conscience. It was a great patriotic and nationalistic call by elder statesmen headed by no less a patriot than Prof. Ango Abdullahi.”
Sale said: “The problems confronting our nation today transcends all political and pecuniary interest of dubious and unpatriotic Nigerians who are out to sacrifice the nation for their pockets, within and outside the government.”
The statement further noted that “we are happy to know that from the day the NEF made the statement which was followed by Mr. President’s declaration that all Nigerians have the right to move and settle freely in any part of the country and be protected by the security agencies, we have witnessed a downturn and cessation of hostilities in some communities of the South.”
It maintained that “to us, this is the way forward, and we thank the president for making this timely response and reassurance. We also welcome the response from compatriot associations from the South calling for peace and dialogue with NEF.”