Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The three major Socio-cultural groups in Benue State, Mdzough U TiV Mdzough U TiV(MUT), Idoma Nation Forum (INF) and the Omi Ny’ Igede, have lampooned Minister of Defense, Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali, for calling for the suspension of the anti-open grazing law.
Similarly, the Benue state Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the Minister’s outburst as an insult to the people of the state and asked him to apologise without any further delay.
A statement jointly signed by the leadership of the three ethnic nationalities, President-General of MUT, Chief Engr. Edward Ujege, Barr. Omale Omale (President General, INF) and Comrade Ben Okpa (President General, Omi Ny’ Igede), warned that the Defense Minister, by his utterance, was calling for anarchy in the country.
While saying that it was not the first time Dan-Ali was making such spurious statement, the tribal leaders wondered why a minister would be justifying why a section of the country would carry arms against another. The statement read in parts, “Lest it be forgotten, after the 2018 New Year Day attack on Benue, wherein no fewer than 73 persons (including eight months pregnant woman, four year old child and septuagenarian were killed, this same man justified the act when he told the press that the killings were as a result of grazing law.
“The minister asserted that the law was the immediate cause of the killings in Benue State. This is a Minister of a Federal Republic of Nigeria after a National Security Council meeting; justifying why a section of the country would carry arms against another.
“Mansur Dan-Ali also seems to be head-bent on enforcement of cattle routes with a skewed reasoning that had been the practice even before independence.
“We are tempted to deduce from the utterances of Mansur Dan-Ali that he thinks himself a soldier and that Nigeria was still under military rule, he is a biased Defence Adviser with tribal sentiments, or he does not understand and or is not familiar with the letters and spirit of the Nigeria’s Constitution he swore to uphold.
“We are also tempted to feel that he is calling for anarchy, he is pained that Nigeria is done with military rule, he is one of those privileged Nigerians that take advantage of their offices for their personal gains, families, proxies, allies and or cronies or that he is the reason why the killing of local farmers in Nigeria by herdsmen has continued unabated.
“Otherwise, how do we explain when in a democracy, a supposed educated and professional would call for a unilateral suspension of an act of parliament?
“lt seems to us that Mansur Dan-Ali imagines that the current democratic dispensation is a military rule where decisions are taken unilaterally.
“Mansur Dan-Ali: Go to court! That is how it is done or better still, go through the legislature that enacted the law for repeal; this is our candid advice,” the Benue leaders stated.
On its part, the APC in the state through its Chairman, Comrade Abba Yaro while expressing surprise at the Minister’s statement, asked him to as a matter of urgency withdraw the statement and apologise to the people of the state or resign immediately.
Yaro who that over 500 Benue indigenes have so far lost their lives to the invasion since January till now yet, the Defense Minister has refused to call for the arrest of the leaders of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore (MAKH) who have openly declared war on the state.
“APC in Benue voted for Buhari not to be killed. We will not take this insult. Buhari should call him to order as a principled man. The minister should apologize or resign with immediate effect. The law was made by the people of the state and not by the governor. If this statement is allowed, how will our party campaign in 2019?”