South East PFN slams Buhari, IGP

Okey Sampson, Aba and George Onyejiuwa, Owerri

The Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has rejected the proposed cattle ranches in military barracks, particularly those in South East.

Speaking against the backdrop of the planned establishment of cattle ranches in military barracks, especially in states that, hitherto, opposed the earlier proposed cattle colonies, MASSOB’s National Director of Information, Sunny Okereafor, said inasmuch as the pro Biafra group is not against the establishment of such ranches in any other part of the country, it is against its establishment in any part of Southeastern region

Okereafor said it is not the norm, the world over, for governments to establish ranches for private individuals in military barracks, stressing that the Federal Government is planning that in Nigeria to aid the Fulani accomplish the conquest of the South East they could not conquer in 1804 through Jihad.

The MASSOB spokesman said initially the federal government came with a Grazing Bill, which became dead on arrival because the people were opposed to it; again, “they came with cattle colony, and now cattle ranches in military barracks all in a bid to placate a small segment of the country at the detriment of others.” He said this must be resisted.   

Okereafor said MASSOB is still committed to its non-violent approach to the struggle, but warned that they would not, however, fold their hands when the people are pushed to the wall.  

Meanwhile, leadership of the South East Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), has flayed President Muhammad Buhari over his failure to promptly respond to the genocidal attacks on  Christian communities in Benue, Taraba and Adamawa states by armed Fulani militia.

The association said the president’s lukewarm attitude has given credence to the assertion, in some quarters, that a jihad is going on in the country.

This was even as the Christian body equally accused the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, for allegedly supporting the perpetrators of the heinous crime by referring to the incident as mere communal clash.

Vice President of South East PFN and General Overseer of the Charismatic Renewal Ministries, Dr. Cosmas Ilechukwu,  who  stated this yesterday in Owerri, Imo State capital, at a press conference, said President  Buhari has failed, woefully, to discharge his constitutional responsibility of protecting the victims of the incessant attacks in several villages.

“President Buhari’s failure to respond promptly to this genocide in Benue State and his refusal to visit the affected communities score him very low in his value for human lives. Does it then mean that President Buhari places a higher premium on lives of cows than on that of human beings? When the incident of cattle rustling was reported in Zamfara, the president promptly mobilised the military to recover the stolen cattle and restore to the area.

“But now, when 73 innocent and helpless Nigerians were slaughtered in cold blood, the president did not show adequate concern. When he spoke after over two weeks of graveyard silence, it was not to condole with the people,  it was not to condemn the unwarranted attacks on the people but to ask the people  to accommodate their fellow Nigerians.

Ilechukwu also pointed out that, “ the failure of security agencies to put a stop to these heinous attacks, goes to confirm the assertion in some quarters that a jihad is going on in Nigeria. The Fulani armed with AK47 assault rifles have been attacking mainly Christian communities in the North. Odinarily no  one not permitted to carry a gun without a license and  even with a license it is not an AK47 or machine guns which is what  the Fulani militia have been moving about in the full glare of the security agencies without been arrested.”He said.

The PFN  leader condemns the demolition of churches in Adamawa, Jigawa and some other states in Northern Nigeria saying the planned extermination of  Christianity in these state is unconstitutional and a serious threat   to the peace and unity of Nigeria.

“We urge fellow Christians not to take up arms or take the law into their hand  but to be security conscious. We align ourselves we align with the position of the Christian Association of Nigeria in rejecting the idea of establishing cattle colonies all over Nigeria . Cattle belong to individuals they don’t belong to the Nigerian nation .It will be a gross abuse of office to take over people’s lands and give to a group of others for their private business. So we support the anti open grazing laws of the Benue state and we urge other States to do the same .

Let the cattle owners adopt ranching which is the standard practice the world over.”