…Says unless the country has separate laws for different groups
BY AMOS TAUNA, KADUNA – The Northern Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), comprising the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has said that Nigerians would wait and see what the federal government through her security agencies will do concerning the inflammatory statement credited to the National President of MIYETTI Allah Cattle Owners Association, Bello Abdullahi Bodejo that “Nigeria belongs to Fulani and they will rule forever”.
CAN stressed that unless the country has separate laws for different groups of people in the land, this is the time for the government to act to allay the fears over Nigerians over dominance.
The position of Northern CAN which was contained in a statement by its Vice Chairman, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, equally expressed serious concern over the statement credited to Miyetti Allah just as it lamented that the statement is capable of destroying and tearing the nation apart.
Rev Hayab also warned that the statement is capable of causing disaffection among Nigerians, adding that the leadership of Miyetti Allah is insensitive by saying that Fulani own Nigeria and has the right to do anything it so wishes.
CAN stressed that Nigeria does not belong to any ethnic group, section or religion but to everybody, stressing that no well-meaning individual should use the name of an association or platform like MIYETTI Allah to make such serious divisive statement with the aim of causing disaffection in the polity.
The statement said; “the newspaper story credited to the National President of Miyetti Allah, who was quoted as saying that ‘Nigeria belongs to Fulani and they will rule forever,’ confirmed and identified those who do not wish Nigeria to live in peace and unity.”
CAN pointedly said that the truth remains that Nigeria does not belong to any ethnic group, section or religion but to everyone, pointing out that such false claims as that of MIYETTI Allah’s President only create tension and fuels crisis in the country.
It therefore called on the federal government through the security agencies to call the acclaimed ethnic superiority champion to order and take decisive action to appropriately school him on the diversity of Nigeria and the need for restraint from such reckless statements.
CAN enjoined all well-meaning members of the MIYETTI Allah group to urgently disassociate themselves from the provocative statement linked to the group as proof that the speaker is not playing a script.
Rev Hayab further said; “Without a doubt, there are members of MIYETTI Allah, who love this country genuinely, craving to see the country grow in peace and develop in every sphere, reckon that the statement credited to the group’s President is not a popular view, as such, needs to be publicly opposed.
“Nigeria’s problems are numerous; from insecurity to bad economy and now the Covid-19. CAN, therefore, does not want to add to the barrage of problems the country faces by letting unscrupulous people make grave and ungodly utterances that have dangerous security implications”.
