By: Ifeanyi Izeze<\/p>\n
A strange thingis going on in our land while we all watch helplessly. How
\ncome Nigeria withina very short time has turned into a nation of
\nabsurdities? Can you imagine thelevel of steps Nigeria has taken aback?
\nMiyetti Allah Cattle herders warningthe President of one of the arms of
\ngovernment to resign or they will force himto resign. What impunity! What
\ngut! My heart bleeds with tears for thiscountry. Where is this country
\nheading to?<\/p>\n
Is Miyetti Allahnow a registered political party in Nigeria? Is it not
\ncurious that this group seemsto be reiterating the Saraki \u201cmust be removed
\nby force\u201d earlier vows by AdamsOshiomole and Omo-Agege? How long can we
\ncontinue like this as a nation?<\/p>\n
This has nothingto do with being for, or against Saraki. Before our full
\nglare, the MiyettiAllah is not only assuming the position of the ruling
\nparty but also seems tofast becoming very influential to decisions of
\ngovernance in this country. Thisis a threat to our nation and failing to
\nsee it that way amounts to a costlyself-deceit.<\/p>\n
Serially,President Mohammadu Buhari has come under heavy public criticisms
\non how hisbody language has condoned the unguarded utterances and actions
\nof thesecharacters. Yet, nothing is being or rather seemed to be done
\nabout this group(s).Why are they so untouchable?<\/p>\n
As reported by a prominentNational daily, the National Coordinator of the
\nassociation in Benue State,Alhaji Garus Gololo, in an interview in Makurdi
\nsaid Saraki had creatednumerous problems for the administration of
\nPresident Muhammad Buhari, which hesaid had affected the economic and
\nsocial growth of the nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is on this note that we aresaying that Saraki ought not to be in
\noffice again as Senate President, moreso, Saraki has failed to coordinate
\nand organise the National Assembly to offerquality legislation that
\nNigerians need.<\/p>\n
\u201cNigerians are in dire need ofpeople that have the interest of the masses.
\nMiyetti Allah is looking for aleader that would preside over the affairs
\nof the Senate with ultimate respectfor the executive and the judiciary,
\nnot someone like Senator Saraki that wouldalways scheme to outdo the
\nPresidency.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are now tired of Saraki\u2019sstyle of leadership at the National Assembly.
\nTherefore, we are now warning himto honourably resign his position as
\npresident of the Senate or we will forcehim out\u201d.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s recallthat at the peak of the wanton killings in the Middle belt,
\nall Nigerians roseup to call for the overhauling of the security
\narchitecture to mitigate anyform of collusion as alleged by Gen. T.Y
\nDanjuma (Rtd) and other notableNigerians, this same Miyetti Allah group
\ncame out boldly to say that the Presidencycannot do that. Their voice was
\nharkened to by the powers that be and up tilltoday nothing has been done
\nto rejig the nation\u2019s internal securityarchitecture.<\/p>\n
This same groupequally owned up publicly to be the masterminds of the
\nkillings in Plateau and Benuestates and clearly stated their reasons for
\ndoing that and yet they were notarrested against the plea of particularly
\nthe Benue state government. Some powersin government turned blind eyes to
\nthis open confession and rather told thewhole world that the governor of
\nBenue state, Ortom Emmanuel, was the onekilling his people.<\/p>\n
Is there stillany doubt that the serial unguarded statements and impunity
\nby Miyetti Allah isexposing the obvious collusion between some top
\nofficials of this government andthis group who are being used to stoke
\ndivision and create the violent crisesthat have resulted in daily
\nbloodlettings in various parts of the country?<\/p>\n
Is it notabundantly clear to Nigerians yet that those fomenting crises,
\nincluding thebloody clashes in Benue, Taraba, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Plateau,
\nKaduna, Edo,Borno, Yobe, Enugu, Kogi, Adamawa and other states in our
\ncountry, havepolitical or rather government backers? If not, why are they
\nnot being arrestedand prosecuted for even daring to issue deadly press
\nstatements and interviews?<\/p>\n
The disclaimerby Miyetti Allah (MACBAN) national secretary, Baba Uthman
\nNgelzarma would havebeen okay but for the fact that it looks more like a
\nmere damage limitationeffort.<\/p>\n
His words: \u201cTheattention of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of
\nNigeria has beendrawn to an interview granted by one Garus Gololo in
\nMakurdi (in a newspaper)titled, \u2018Resign or we will force you out\u2019 \u2013
\nMiyetti Allah to Saraki. Thisstatement is unfortunate. I will
\ncategorically state that Garos Gololo spoke inhis personal capacity and
\nhas no mandate to speak on behalf of the association.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiyetti Allah is a non-partisan association with no interest in the
\npoliticalterrain and we can\u2019t meddle in the affairs of political actors
\ntherebycompounding our already obvious challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m therefore appealing to the general publicto disregard this statement
\nas it is coming from someone who doesn\u2019t have themandate of the
\nassociation to speak on its behalf.\u201d<\/p>\n
He may not knowthis but Baba Uthman actually won my heart with his
\narticulate explanations ofthe activities of MACBAN on a radio programmed
\nwhere he was interviewed inAbuja not too long ago. It was really educating
\nas he revealed that most Nigeriansmay not be aware that Miyetti Allah
\nCattle Breeders Association of Nigeria hasa splinter group, Miyetti Allah
\nCattle Hor, that came into existence few yearsago. Both groups have
\ndifferent chains of commands and \u201cdo things differently\u201dalso.<\/p>\n
But let meremind the Miyetti Allah National Secretary, that these same
\nwords he has usedto disclaim the group in Benue were the exact words he
\nalso used when thePlateau State Chairman of the same Miyetti Allah owned
\nup to one episode of asenseless killing spree in Plateau state. So how
\ncome the same man is speakingboth for MACBAN and Cattle Hor if they are
\nnot under one umbrella? That\u2019s atalk for another day!<\/p>\n
This has nothingto do with whether or not you like Saraki, we need to take
\nthis Miyetti Allah\u2019snew found audacity very seriously because it portends
\na threat to the veryfabric of our nation. We all need to be cautious lest
\nwe nonchalantly allowpeople who don\u2019t mean well for this country destroy
\nour nation for us. Godbless Nigeria!<\/p>\n