Ruga settlement: Arewa replies Ohanaeze, Fani Kayode

The Arewa Defenders Forum (ADF) has cautioned the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nwodo his utterances against the administration of President Muhammdu Buhari and northern youths.

National President of the group, Nurudeen Alkasim stated this in a statement issued on Sunday over the recently suspended Ruga settlement for herdsmen initiative by the Federal Government.

The group declared that Nwodo is a forgotten, frustratred politician desperate for recognition in the media by hiding behind his hatred against the North through open, vicious attack on the Ruga policy and insulting the North as a people.

ADF expressed disappointment over the Ohanaeze leader’s claims of alleged Islamization and Fulanization of the country, stressing that the Ruga proposal was designed to bring an end to suspicious killings using the name of Fulanis and their Northern identity for political convenience.

The group said Nwodo has only succeeded in exposing himself as one of those Southeast elites who have lost touch with reality; who do not want an end to the massive killing of Northerners by people masquerading as herdsmen, in an ochestrated agenda to kill agriculture, threaten Food Security of the region, its safety and generally run down the Northern economy.

The group also took exception to the call by the Ohanaeze leader that all Igbo should be ready to defend themselves, adding that by this, the Ohanaeze leader has made a call for resort to arms.

It urged the Federal Government to keep an eye on all Southern elites opposed to ending the killings in the North and investigate if they have no links to the circulation of arms used in killings and razing of villages.

Turning to another former minister and virulent critic of the Ruga policy, the ADF said, “We were not surprised by Fani Kayode’s unguarded utterances because it has always been his stand on issues to do with Northern interest.

The group also argued thus, “Coming from the only part of Nigeria that has so far enjoyed more than enough economic and political patronage, with our son, President Buhari in charge of the reins of power, it is in fact shameful, and veiled hypocrisy that Fani Kayode would openly insult the North, which gave them unlimited access to opportunities as a strategy for promoting national unity and stability.”

“We dare say that this is one beautiful policy that has thus far got the total support of prominent Nigerians, including groups of elder statesmen like the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and scores of civil society groups from the South,” the ADF explained.

The group warned that unless something was done about persons or groups opposed to ending the killings in the North, it presupposes that there are hidden interests that are against a viable solution to the region’s multiple security and other challenges.