By Oji Odu
Just as Nigerian youths and Nigerians are trying to swallow the alleged misinformation of President Muhammadu Buhari to the comity of nations that the Nigerian youths just sit down and expect everything to be done for them, and by inference, they are lazy, the number one citizen went ahead to tell the whole world that the killings without boarder allegedly by AK47 wielding Fulani herdsmen is false. He said that they don’t carry AK47 rifles.
Buhari had during the bilateral talks with President Donald Trump of the United States of America told his American audience that the Fulani herdsmen that he knew did not carry guns, blaming the killings on returning militia who had been trained and armed by the late Libyan leader, Mammar Gadaffi.
This claim has however not gone done well with Nigerians, especially those whose states have been the worse hit of these inhuman killings, among whom is Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state.
The governor who disagreed with the President observed that there must have been some contradiction, wondering, if they don’t carry arms as claimed by the president, then who are the ones brandishing AK47 rifles and killing locals. He stated that Buhari’s statement was “absolutely not correct.”
“I mean who kills who? They cannot be imaginary. People are being killed with AK 47 rifles and we have to stand up and do something to stop it.
“The insecurity has certainly put a lot of pressure on our health care facilities, much more than we anticipated, and we have almost 150,000 displaced persons.
Further disagreeing with President Buhari’s claim, Governor Ishaku expressed shock that the President said that the Fulani herdsmen move around with sticks and machetes. He stated that this is rather false and misleading.
“It’s absolutely wrong for the President to say herdsmen don’t move around with guns. I mean, who then kills who? It couldn’t have been imaginary that people have been killed with AK-47 in the farmers-herdsmen clashes. “We simply have to stand up to the truth and do something to stop the killings,” he said.
What does the President who Nigerians voted for to oust the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration and set things right stand to gain by portraying Nigeria and Nigerians in bad light?, many ask. Are the blood of innocent Nigerians shed almost on daily basis worth nothing to him, or is his ambition to go for a second term worth more than the blood of Nigerians?
Is this not a type of hate speech which is capable of making the affected to arm themselves and challenge any AK47 wielding Fulani herdsmen seen anywhere within their vicinity, whose only aim is to destroy farmlands with the protection of these arms?
In a chat with the Magazine, Kelvin Ekwuo, a political analyst said: ‘ It is a pity that whenever Mr. President goes outside the country, I don’t know what happens to him that makes him degrade Nigerians in the presence of these foreigners who will do such about their countries no matter what they stand to gain.
‘ Just when Nigerians are calling on him to give the directive and check the killings, he is doing otherwise. His claim is capable of setting fire to this country. I believe he did not mean what he said. It might be that he did not know how to explain what he meant or may not have been well informed by the security agencies. His aides also should be held responsible.’
However lamenting, Unyio Peters, a housewife said: ‘ It’s a pity the President is sounding like this as if ghost killers are responsible for these senseless killings, and as if he is handicapped to do anything about it upon all the powers the constitution granted him. Many are now being forced to believe that there may be a hidden agenda to all these. President Buhari should know that these western countries are not fooled, unless he wants to trade Nigeria for his selfish ambition.’
Meanwhile, with these goofs, many pity Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who has another goof to clear as the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, struggles to put its house in order observed in the failed primaries, to see how far it will go in the 2019 general elections.
