Governor Rotimi Akerodolu of Ondo State has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is emotionally attached to Fulani herders.
This is coming as a reply to the Presidency’s earlier statement cautioning the governor over a quit notice he handed down to Fulani herders to leave the state forest reserves.
Shehu, who called for restraint on both sides, urged the state government and the leadership of the Fulani communities to continue their dialogue for a good understanding that would bring the “nightmarish security challenges facing the state” to an urgent end.
A statement by Ondo state commissioner of information, Donald Ojogo, said the presidency’s statement signed by Garba Shehu “reeks of emotional attachment to the herdsmen,” Premium Times reported.
The commissioner also described it “is a brazen display of emotional attachments and it is very inimical to the corporate existence of Nigeria.”
“We need clearly defined actions on the part of the federal government to decimate the erroneous impression that the inspiration of these criminal elements masquerading as herdsmen is that of power. Our unity is threatened, no doubt,” he said.
He said Shehu’s “states in a breath that the governor fights crime with passion while it is prevaricating on the atrocities.”
“The question is, are the herdsmen who are perpetrating murder, kidnapping and robbery more important than government and even the Federal Government in this case? Ethnic nationality and activism on the part of anyone hiding under the presidency or federal government is an ill wind,” the commissioner said
