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The
spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Professor Ango Abdullahi,
Wednesday declared that nobody has the right to stop Fulani herdsmen
from going about their lawful business in any part of the country.The former Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was speaking against the backdrop of the Ekiti Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose’s ban on cattle grazing in the state over a week ago.
According to Prof. Abdullahi, not only is the freedom of movement of the cattle rearers guaranteed under the Nigerian constitution, they are like businessmen, who like other people, cannot be denied access to the resources they need.
The NEF chieftain spoke in Bauchi yesterday.
He said, “If for any reason, somebody in one section of this country will deny him access then we have to take measures to response to that. We are not saying that if a herdsman encroaches on a farm land . . . and this has been the tradition here for years; when they do some crops get damaged and an assessment is made and they pay. So why all the petty attitude?
“I see what is happening today as a new dimension to political and ethnic cleansing that if not carefully handled may lead to other big things. The Herdsman is a Nigerian his rights must be exercised as a Nigerian he has free movement like everybody else to pursue legitimate business and he cannot be denied access to any part of the country.
“I am a Fulani man my ancestors were in the bush, but we find reasons to settle in one place. I have cows and anytime they cause damage I pay compensation and so that is the way it will be.
“The Fulani man is a Nigerian he has rights like any other Nigerian he works freely to access legitimate economic resources of this country like land. Land is common thing for all Nigerians. In fact, what really amazes me there is no Nigerian I know that works as hard as a herdsman; he sleeps on the branches of trees he has no permanent abode, he toils day and night with his animals”.
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