Chir msugh Iorwase Armstrong
SAVE US FROM HERDSMEN.
Good day your Excellency.
Permit me to begin this letter without the requisite official protocol due to your very high office owing to the fact that the open letter is been necessitated by issues of urgent national importance; which is not unconnected with the threat issued by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore to the peace loving people of Benue state.
Mr.President Sir, I write you today with a bleeding heart knowing full well that my life and that of my people is at the mercy of Fulani herdsmen, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.
I will draw your attention to statements credited to the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.
Your Excellency sir, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore has threatened our peaceful coexistence as a people and our major source of worry now is the privileged information we have that they (Miyetti Allah Kajtal Hore) are amassing at the Nigerian/Cameroon borders, both cows and militia, and in Nasarawa State at the borders with Benue, waiting for the right time to move into Benue and attack our people.
Mr. President, We are deeply concerned that the alleged heightened preparations to invade Benue with large mass of cattle and militia is to truncate the impending take-off of the anti-open grazing law scheduled for November 1. We believe the plan is to make the law unenforceable if the authorities have no means to contain the influx of the cattle and herdsmen.
Grand Commander Federal Republic Of Nigeria, GCFRN, permit me to remind you of the following sir:
- Sir, you came into office on the drum-beat of change.
- We exalted you without blemish, and invested in you, what I love to call “Messianic Investment” this I believe was what saw you through the many unsuccessful campaign attacks; ranging from dictatorial past, Extremism, Certificate saga. We created a meme and synopsized as “Even if Buhari present a NEPA bill as a certificate, we will still vote for him”.
As an Agent of change and a patriotic citizen of my noble country, I have been having sleepless nights, since May 22nd, 2017 that sunny day Governor Samuel Ortom assented to the”BENUE STATE OPEN GRAZING PROHIBITION AND RANCHES ESTABLISHMENT LAW,2017″.
Mr. President between 2012 to 2016 alone, Benue State saw destruction of properties, farms and farm produces worth in excess of N95 billion due to crisis between herdsmen and farmers.This is besides thousands of lives that have been lost to the crisis over the years. Recall there have been series of blood letting and destructions of lives and properties from crises largely caused by herders grazing on farms and cattle rustling over the years in the state.
These destruction have affected adversely the economy of our state hence the need to contain incessant herdsmen/farmers clashes through the ban on open grazing.
Schools, hospitals, bridges and other infrastructure were destroyed and several years after, no intervention even from the federal government to help the locals get their lives back.
Mr. President sir, this Anti Open Grazing Prohibition Law signed into law May 2017 in the state was to put a permanent end to the crisis.
The law will come into effect November 1, 2017 and all animal breeders in the state will be required to ranch their animals or face the law.
The governor also disclosed that already law abiding individuals have approached the state for land so they could ranch their cattle and other animals.
Our state Governor, Chief Samuel Ortom has expressed commitment to provide necessary security and infrastructure support to all those willing to engage in ranching.
Just recently the legislative arm of our state Government sent messages to relevant authorities to threats by the Fulani Herdsmen.
The law making body Says the continuous silence of the President even at the point of the Leadership of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Cattle Association calling on him to call a sitting Governor, Samuel Ortom to order for wanting to implement a legally passed and duly signed law is more worrisome.
Our president sir, I write to further join and add my voice with that of our Governor, Chief Samuel ortom, the Benue state House of Assembly and the good people of Benue to Calls for the immediate arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Cattle Rearers Association.
Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore body who have opposed our law and openly threatened to ensure the law doesn’t survive in the state are splinter group, according to our Governor.
Mr. President sir, the way things are going on here in Benue state, as we count down, in less than 24hours for full enforcement and implementation of the law widely accepted by our people, we are afraid, law and order will be brought to it kneels. We are saddened that our president and commander-in-chief is mute and not saying anything.
Do the people of Benue see the silence of our president as a gang up or conspiracy against our people?
Do we as a people see that Fulanis are all out to exterminate we as a people and take over our land?
Why is our father and president not saying anything over this issue of national importance?
What is happening Mr. President?
I write to remind you that if the security formations in the country under your control cannot protect us as a peace loving people our God shall come to our rescue and maybe we shall be pushed to the wall for self help.
May God bless Our president and Nigeria.
Chir Msugh Iorwase Armstrong writes from Makurdi.
