Afenifere carpets Tinubu over statement on cattle colony

PAN-YORUBA socio-political group, Afenifere has berated the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over his call that unused lands should be converted to grazing reserves in order to solve the herdsmen siege on farmers in some states of the federation, saying it was sad that Tinubu was adumbrating the Miyetti Allah’s position to convert the entire country into one huge cattle colony.

Tinubu had while speaking at The Nation/TVC seminar in Abuja, said the “Unoccupied, isolated land can quickly be turned into grazing areas in the affected states,” as the herdsmen terror being witnessed across the country was a fallout of water scarcity.

Afenifere, while decrying Tinubu’s position in a statement titled: “We Reject Tinubu’s Miyetti Allah’s Choice,” issued by its spokesperson, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said it totally rejected this position, describing it as very backward in modern time and contrary to the consensus of all peace-loving Nigerians that what the country needed to solve the herdsmen siege on farmers was to have ranches.

       ALSO READ: Fake EFCC official, policeman arrested in Lagos

Afenifere, however, said Tinubu was free to play his politics the way it suited him but warned that he should tread softly in playing games with the lives of Nigerians by making outlandish propositions on issues on which positions had been settled.

“The attention of Afenifere has been drawn to the statement credited to former Lagos governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the herdsmen’s terror being witnessed across the country is a fallout of water scarcity and that the country should “convert unused land to grazing reserves.”

“Tinubu, who was speaking at The Nation/TVC seminar in Abuja, said: “Unoccupied, isolated land can quickly be turned into grazing areas in the affected states.”

“Since most of the states in the country are being affected, it is sad that Tinubu is adumbrating the Miyetti Allah’s position to convert the entire country into one huge cattle colony,” Afenifere said.

“We admonish him that he is free to play his politics the way it suits him but he should tread softly in playing games with the lives of our people by making outlandish propositions on issues on which positions have been settled,” it added.

The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, while maintaining its rejection of Tinubu’s position, which it described as “very backward in modern time and contrary to the consensus of all peace-loving Nigerians that what we need to solve the herdsmen siege on farmers is to have ranches,” wondered if the APC chieftain as a very enlightened person would have suggested that grazing routes should be established in places like the US and Britain at this age and time if he “were still living in any of such countries.”

Afenifere maintained that it stood on the 2014 National Conference position that the country should embrace ranching as a way out of the herdsmen crisis, but quickly said that while Tinubu was free to give up his residence in Bourdillon, Ikoyi, Lagos for cattle colony, the Yoruba people would not accept their land being converted into cattle grazing routes.

“We stand on the position of the 2014 National Conference position that the country should embrace ranching as a way out of the herdsmen crisis.

“Let those who are in the position to take the decision to know this clearly: Tinubu can give his residence in Bourdillon for cattle colony but our people will not accept their land being converted into cattle grazing routes,” Afenifere said.