Letter to President Buhari: We Reject Cattle Colony in Igalaland

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An Open Letter To President Muhammadu Buhari by Igala Unity And Progressive Initiative (Igala Nation Builders)

President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR

President and Commander-In-Chief of Armed Forces

Federal Republic Of Nigeria

Aso Rock

Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

We Reject Cattle Colony In Igala Land

Igala Unity and Progressive Initiative is an Igala native socio-cultural association with sole aim of uniting all Igala, pave way for development in Igala land cutting across 6 states of Kogi, Anambra, Enugu,  Benue, Delta and Edo.  We can only succeed in our objectives when there is peace and security within Igala land and with our direct neighbors  which Fulani is not one of them.

We appreciate God for giving us peace in Igala land even with little or no Federal presence in Igala land. Any policy of the government directed at turning Igala land into a battle field of blood bath will be rejected.

Marginalization Of Igala

We want to use this medium to bring to the notice of federal government of Nigeria that since the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914, we have been neglected in the distribution of the nation’s projects and other resources even though we are considered to be the 9th largest ethnic group in Nigeria.  We are left to survive on our own. As hardworking and peace loving as we are, we have no reason not to appreciate God for His goodness upon Igala land, but our silence should not be taken as foolishness and we should not be provoked beyond elastic limit through unfavourable federal and state policies.

The Proposed Cattle Colony

The news of cattle colonies to be established across Nigeria was a provoking news and an attempt to force many out of their ancestral lands or subjecting them under the leadership of Fulani since other tribes are been considered as second class tribes in their own country.  Such attempt is evil and should be reversed.

For many years, we have accommodated Fulani even though we have lost so many of our kinsmen due to their incessant attacks on our people, yet we endure. Is now very clear that federal government does not value the lives of its citizens. We have recorded more than 100 of our kinsmen killed by Fulani yet federal government over the years shows no concern.

Instead, they want to kill us all, they want to take away our land in the cover of cattle colony.  We are farmers and we have no excess land or reserve land to give out for cattle colony therefore we reject it and we are advising the federal government to reverse the call for cattle colony.

We want to let the world know that we were not consulted by Governor Yahaya Bello before he hurriedly made a promise of giving out our land for cattle colony.  We are advising him to withdraw his pledge to Federal government because we shall resist any attempt to take any piece of land from Igala land for cattle colony.

Ranches

Cattle rearing is a private business just like every other business and any Nigerian with intention to go into cattle business should purchase available land for his/her business for ranches. We welcome ranches and not colony.  Colony is evil and we reject  it. Unless they want to force us to request for farm colony across the nation.

Governor Yahaya Bello’s Threat

We want to also register our grievances over a threat from the Governor to depose any king who refuse to include cattle herders in their traditional Council. Our traditional Council is not a political council but a council that stand for our history and identity.  We share no history with Fulani,  we have no common ancestral identity with Fulani therefore is an abomination for BELLO to compel us to include Fulani in our traditional councils.  We cannot include Fulani in our councils and no level of threat will make us go against our culture and tradition. BELLO must stop any act that is capable of creating crisis in kogi state.

ALGON and Arewa Position

Presently, we have no ALGON in Kogi state because what we have is local government administrators and are not members of ALGON. It is illegal for them to address a press claiming to be supporting cattle colony. Their support of cattle colony was never a surprise to us because they were installed by Governor Bello and were only keeping the interest of Bello.

For Arewa to come out to oppose the stand of project Igala is laughable because we have no part with Arewa therefore Arewa have no right to speak for us and we reject their stand.

We want to appeal to Federal government to reverse and stop any further arrangement towards the establishment of cattle colony

for the sake of peace and unity.

Thank you, Your Excellency

Yours sincerely

Prince Ademu Usman

National President,

Igala Unity and Progressive Initiative a.k.a. Igala Nation Builders

CC:

Senate President of national assembly

Speaker of House of Representative

Minister for Agriculture

Kogi state governor

Speaker kogi state house of assembly

Ata Igala of Igala

All Igala sociocultural associations

Chairman,  Igala area traditional council


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