The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum has described as insensitive the statement credited to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)Senator Wali declaration of support for the Ruga programme of the federal government.
In a statement issued yesterday and signed by the leaders of the group,the group frowned at what it described as ” the insensitivity and impunity of the BOT chair .
It contended further that the declaration of support by Senator Jibrin, is an affirmation of the ethnic domination programme which seeks to create homelands for Fulani herdsmen all over Nigeria “in spite of the terror non-Fulani communities have been subjected to even when these herders are nomads.”
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It stated further that in spite of the rejection of the programme by Southern and Middle Belt communities,the endorsement of same is against the peoples rejection of the internal colonialism agenda outrightly.
“The PDP BOT chair has only confirmed our fears that this is an ethnic conquest policy that is at variance with nationhood being pursued by it.
” I and my ethnic group (Fulani) had embraced the programme. Ruga project includes provision of hospitals, schools, water supply and electricity, among other facilities, which will have direct bearing on the lives of herders.
The group stated further that, Senator Jibrin statement to the effect that the Ruga programne ” will also tackle the incessant farmers/herdsmen’ conflicts as well as boost food security in the country.”is unfortunate
“We say clearly to Jubril that his appeal to our zones to accept the obnoxious policy is rejected with no thanks .He should join his fellow ethnic supremacists to pursue Ruga in the states in the North that have accepted Ruga and spare us his sophistry and non-sequitor ” the SMBLF declared.
It stated further that its “opposition to the policy remains unwavering and Ruga will only be implemented in our communities after a military conquest of the entire South and Middle Belt as we have told Femi Adesina that we will keep our lands and lives against Ruga policy .”
The group said that though its members “are not members of the PDP “,it adopted Atiku as presidential candidate in the last election based on his promise to restructure Nigeria, ”
In conclusion,it called on all PDP Governors in the southern zones “to ignore their BOT Chair who has spoken as a champion of his ethnic group but wearing the badge of their party.”
The statement was jointly signed by Yinka Odumakin,Professor
Chigozie Ogbu,Senator Bassey Henshaw and Dr Isuwa Dogo for the Afenifere,Ohaneze Ndigbo ,South south zone and the middle belt forum.
