RUGA: Balarabe blasts Afenifere,others; calls them separatists; insists Fulani herders have rights

“There are separatists everywhere in Nigeria today. You have them in the north, in terms of Northern Elders Forum; in the south-west, we have the OPC, Afenifere; in the southeast, we have IPoB, Ohanaeze and so on.”

Those are words of the second republic Kaduna Governor and elder statesman Balarabe Musa, condemning the harsh calls coming from pan-cultural groups exacerbating the rumpus that greeted the Ruga Policy for Fulani herders-farmers crisis.

President Muhammadu Buhari just suspended the policy as threat and counter threats increased between the north ad the south.

According to Musa, these groups do not want Nigeria to remain as one entity, and the country cannot forge ahead with such groups who are seizing the policy to tear Nigeria apart.

“Whether we like it or not, we have a government in place. That is the reality, and we have to recognise that. I urge the government to be careful, in particular, with these separatists. I made that call several times before,” he told the Vanguard.

He added the groups do not believe in Nigeria’s oneness, even those of them who pretend to believe in national unity want things done on their terms.

‘Whereas it should be on the terms of collective Nigerians. Let me give you an example of this controversy on RUGA.”

He said ordinary people from the south, irrespective of what the governors said, irrespective of what the separatists said, made it clear the want to remain where they are.

“We are not going to go back to the South; we are going to stay in the North. This is where we belong.

“It is the same thing with northerners in the south. They dismissed all these separatists calling for them to go back to the North.

“They are telling them, ‘We will not go anywhere! We are going to stay where we are,” he said.

The north, especially NEF, has asked the Fuani herdsmen at the centre of this Ruga controversy to leave the south because they can’t guarantee their safety as the public sentiment against them rises.

But he Fulani herders also claim Nigeria belongs to everybody and nobody can restrict their freedom of movement..