Tiv Area Traditional Council, TATC, has told President Muhammadu
Buhari that he would not get a single vote in the state in 2019. They
said if “he loves his political future,” he should put a lasting
solution to the ongoing killings in the state by Fulani herdsmen.
The pan-cultural organisation gave the warning while rejecting the
decision by the Federal Government to designate cattle colonies in
different parts of the country.
Speaking on Tuesday, the legal adviser of TATC, Chief Edward
Ashiekaa, also disclosed that the orgnisation has concluded plans to
report to the global community and International Criminal Court, ICC,
the atrocities of Fulani herdsmen, including the recent killings of
natives in Benue State.
Ashiekaa said, “Of course, Buhari is a Fulani man, he has cattle. But
if he loves his political future, he should tackle this matter and
bring a solution once and for all because Benue state voted massively
for him (in 2015); now, if he contests again (in 2019) and vote is cast,
he will get zero vote from Benue State.
“The law has come into being, it has prohibited open-grazing and
every citizen must obey this law. The law has also protected cattle
owners by prohibiting cattle rustling and providing stiff penalties. The
cattle herders are bent on disobeying these laws.
“The international community has to come into it. We are going to the
Embassies, United Nations and even the International Criminal Court to
ventilate our grievances. We are taking bold steps to inform the world
that we are law abiding citizens. We have no capacity to fight the
Fulani herdsmen; knowing the type of sophisticated weapons they have,
our rural people cannot fight them. We want to win this war at the
battle front, we don’t have the capacity to do that. We will win it at
the international level and at the federal level.”
Ashiekaa noted that the position of Benue State House of Assembly on anti-Open Grazing Bill enacted was very clear.
He dared the Federal Government to explain what it meant by “cattle
colonies,” when, the state government had enacted laws prohibiting open
grazing, which was resisted by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders
Association with serious threats.
Ashiekaa said, “The Federal Government has no right to enact the law
nullifying the law which has been enacted by the Benue state government.
Under the constitution, they don’t have the right. As of now the Benue
state government has enacted laws prohibiting open grazing. If you bring
the aspect of cattle colony and it fits into our definition of
ranching, we will accept it. But as of now there is no definition of
cattle colony.
“Miyetti Allah has come out severally to say they will disobey the
law; they don’t recognise the law, the law is against their interest, so
they will not obey it. Have you ever heard of such a thing in this
country? The issue is whether or not the Benue State House of Assembly
as a legislature has a right to enact the law that it did.”
The organization also faulted the declaration by the Inspector
General of Police, Idris Ibrahim that the recent killing in the state
was a mere communal clash.
“Does he know what communal is? The man is highly educated, otherwise
he wouldn’t have risen to the position of IGP. But the whole world know
that they are Fulani herdsmen, some are not even Nigerians but brought
in just to create problems for the people and you are calling it
communal clashes! The man should withdraw that statement and state the
fact. As I am still talking to you there are still clashes ongoing
between the herdsmen and the local people who are helpless, they are not
armed.
“You will recall that at the inception of the Samuel Ortom’s
administration in Benue State, he pleaded with the hoodlums to surrender
their weapons under an amnesty program. It is even painful to say that
President Muhammadu Buhari is involved in it,” he said.