Fulanisation: Arewa response indicates Obasanjo’s broken ties with the north

After taking its time to study the last public letter former President Olusegun Obsajo wrote President Muhammadu Buhari, the Arewa Consultative Forum has concluded Obasanjo is deliberately stoking embers of division—for self-aggrandizement. .

“As far as the ACF and indeed the North is concerned, Chief Obasanjo lacks the moral standing to make any damning statements against any government considering his antecedents while at the helm of affairs as President,” said Muhammad Biu, ACF’s spokesperson.

“His statements and comments on national issues are neither driven by altruism nor by patriotism, but sheer self-aggrandizement.”

Obasanjo in his eight years as president courted the north with his nationalist badge, which angered his home region in the southwest where he had little support.

But it seems his alliance and loyalty to the north no longer serve any political agenda for  him now as he has found his voice, like his ethnic crusaders in the Afenifere and  the Ohaneze, to criticise the imperialist tendency of the north.

According the group, Obasanjo’s recent outburst on ‘Islamization’, Fulanization’, and ‘Northernization’ are clearly calculated at causing division and acrimony along religious, ethnic and regional lines which is most unfortunate.

“Enemies of the north chose to propagate such negative narratives only with the view to causing disharmony among undiscerning Nigerians.

“Unfortunately many, including the highly educated and politically sophisticated elites have unwittingly fallen into the trap of believing in Obasanjo and his ilk.”

The ACF noted that the issue of “Fulani herdsmen” is gradually degenerating into a national crisis.

“We find the assertion that every crime committed in, especially the southern part of the country, as being committed by Fulani herdsmen, irresponsible and deliberately aimed at achieving some certain diabolical objectives.

“The narration that every criminal, armed robbers and kidnappers are Fulani herdsmen because a Fulani man is at helm of affairs is a dangerous precedent which has to stop. Criminals must be regarded as criminals without giving them any ethnic, religious or regional coloration,” the ACF said.

The group added that Obasanjo being a former President and an elder statesman who has unfettered access to the President should use a better and most civilized way of communicating his views to a sitting President rather than going public to create unnecessary scene and try to bring down the roof.

“Chief Obasanjo has become relentless in his self-appointed task of a Cassandra-in- Chief for Nigeria, always proclaiming doomsday, predicting upheaval and bloodbath, which to say the least has diminished his acclaimed status as a patriot and nationalist.”

The northern group insisted that insurgency, banditry, kidnappings and armed robbery are common enemies, and Nigerians join hands in finding a lasting solution to the menace.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that the country is currently facing dire security challenges with its consequences, however, we must quickly add that the challenges are as a result of cumulative failures of past administrations.”

The forum urged Buhari to revamp the nation’s security apparatus for effective performance.

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