The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign States of Biafra (MASSOB), has warned South East governors against consenting to cattle colony as proposed by the Federal Government.
The leader of MASSOB, Uchenna Madu, gave the warning yesterday in a statement he issued in Owerri, Imo State capital, and made available to Daily Sun.
He threatened that MASSOB would declare any governor in the South East states who accepts to operate a cattle colony, a saboteur.
“MASSOB is making it clear that any state governor who cedes any part of our God-given land to Fulani herdsmen will be treated as an enemy of Igbo and Biafrans in general. The people of Biafra have their diverse cultural, traditional and religious heritage clearly different from the Arewa people; our social interactions, linguistic and nativities sharply differ from the people of Arewa land.
“MASSOB will never accept imposition of religion and culture on our people through any dubious means. We advise Igbo governors not to succumb to Buhari’s pressure in ceding any portion of Igbo land to Fulani; it will be disadvantageous to our people. An Igbo governor who succumbs to Hausa-Fulani pressures against the interest and position of Ndigbo will be seen and treated as an Igbo saboteur, who has invoked the wrath of our ancestors against his family.”
Madu said MASSOB is aware of the desperation by some governors in the zone to yield to the Federal Government’s proposal because of their political ambition, saying such plans would fail.
“MASSOB and other pro-Biafra groups represent the genuine interest of the Igbo, which can never be denied. If Yoruba leaders can eloquently support and collaborate with Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Hausa/Fulani (Arewa) leaders openly romance with Boko Haram terrorists and Fulani herdsmen for the goodness of their region and people, why are Igbo leaders afraid to support or collaborate with Biafra-agitating groups for the betterment of Igboland and her people in security and civil protection of the lives and property of Ndigbo,” he queried.
Also yesterday, the Imo State Chairman of Miyetti Allah, Alhaji Audu Diko, apologised to farmers in the state over the havoc wreaked on their farmlands by herdsmen.
Diko made the appeal during a meeting with the leadership of Hausa/Fulani herdsmen, Imo community farmers, and traditional rulers organised by the Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, at the command’s headquarters in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
He maintained that farmers in the state are peace-loving, thus, do not deserve any form of assault by the herdsmen.
The Miyetti Allah leader also noted that most violence attributed to the herders in Imo were perpetrated by unregistered and unidentified ones among them.
Some traditional rulers who spoke earlier had expressed concern over the continued destruction of their farmlands by herdsmen.
One of them, Eze George Eke, the Ishi Ubo of Ubomiri in Mbaitoli Local Government Area pleaded for the establishment of ranches in the state, pointing out that the process would solve the problem of constant clashes between the herdsmen and farmers.
-The Sun
