·
Lists other measures, declares:
·
“Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo also maintains that cattle
rearing is a private business like every other business. It is therefore an
absurdity, an infringement and abuse of citizens’ right for any legislator or
Federal Government to think of acquiring other peoples’ land, for other
peoples’ business, as suggested by the Grazing Reserve Bill 2016 being
discussed by the National Assembly”
“That the Fulani herdsmen should as a matter of urgency vacate our
backyards and farmlands as their security is no longer guaranteed, because of
their crime against us, and because of the prevailing distrust. Every person,
village and groups should join hands and legitimately treat them like
trespassers. They are violent trespassers, which ought not to be condoned; and
they are also nuisance that ought to be abated"
·
· Piqued by the
unrestrained and unprovoked attack by Fulani herdsmen on the people, especially
in Enugu State, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the socio-cultural highest decision making
body of the Igbo will soon come out with far-reaching measures to underscore
the current pain in Igbo land.
A proposal to this effect
is currently before the Ime Obi, the
inner caucus of the pan-Igbo body, listed a number of measures, including
banning the slaughter in any Igbo market and eating of beef bred by Fulani
herdsmen and the age-long practice of using cows as a symbol of big ceremonies,
such as burials and chieftaincy activities.
 |
| A cross section of Ndigbo leaders at a public function. |
“Concerned Imeobi Members of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, Worldwide
therefore maintains as follows: It is high-time our people are encouraged to
defend themselves, “first”, before placing reliance on any other person; and
should articulate themselves to ward-off any invader in future. Our people
should learn and imbibe the culture of being ready to defend themselves
legitimately at all times, and at all levels; at least to offer reasonable
defense, in event of any impromptu attack, as we the Igbos are vulnerable and
are grossly endangered. That the National Executive Council of Ohanaeze Ndi
Igbo MUST set up as a matter of urgency, a ‘Security & Strategic endurance
Committee’, and a ‘Central coordinating Security sub-Committee on Town Unions,
Vigilante groups and Neighborhood watchers’
The measure, 34 in
number, being proposed by a group within the Igbo caucus –Concerned Imeobi
Members of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, Worldwide, to the main body at a meeting
on Sunday, also listed a number of serious sanctions against any Igbo man that
would flout the actions, when finally adopted.
The proposal, entitled:
Re-Unprovoked Massacre of Our People at Nimbo, Uzo-Uwani LGA, Enugu State, on
Monday, the 25th Day of April, 2016, Our Position, read:
“We have viewed with grave concern, the reckless and callous attitude of
the Fulani herdsmen, who had the effrontery to bring down their violence to our
peaceful South-Eastern states of Nigeria, by recently attacking our defenseless
kiths and kin at Nimbo Community, Uzouwani, LGA, Enugu State, MASSACRED AND
DISMEMBERED a lot of them, without any respect or value for human life.
“These itinerant herdsmen
have, indeed, drawn a line on the sand, and their actions and audacity will no
longer be discountenanced. We must take steps to reduce the chances of
re-occurrence of this kind of evil, again. Surely, we will not do anything
illegitimate to express our displeasure in the killings of our people in our
own land, by these itinerant Fulani herdsmen. Our people were killed for
cows; and cows we shall detest!
“We must express our
disgust, in the modus operandi of the security apparatus of this country.
Security of lives and properties, have long been thrown into the winds, and
people are dying like flies that encountered pesticide, and properties are
being lost on daily basis from insecurity. Each time there is a heinous crime
in this country, the security hierarchy will tell us that they will investigate
and get to the root of the matter, and will bring the perpetrators to book.
“But no feedback of such
investigations are ever heard again ad infinitum. Examples abound. Till now we
are still waiting to get report or feedback about the mystery multitude of
corpses deposited at Ezu River, Amansea, Ugwuoba Enugu State few years ago.
“Our confidence greatly
dwindles, as we believe, from experience, that the circumstances surrounding
this current MASSACRE of our people at Nimbo Uzouwani; has, from the date of
the incident, commenced its journey to being swept under the carpet. The security
network of the country should be accountable, up and doing, so as to restore
our confidence.
“No reasonable person
should try to politicise this issue of this ‘Nimbo Massacre’, by trying to make
caricature of identity of the perpetrators of this heinous crime, which is well
known to our people, to be the Fulani herdsmen.
“The pains of the
killings of our brothers and sisters at Nimbo, in this millennium, in the
manner the herdsmen did it recently, will NEVER go, unless strategic sanctions
follow. We can NEVER mourn our brothers with continuous patronage to the
blood-suckers, and vandals who brazenly trespass our backyards and farmlands in
the name of feeding their cows.
“They feed their cows
with our farm produce, impoverishing our people with failed agricultural
yields; and finally they sell their cows to us, and also sell their farm
produce, from their own undisturbed farmlands to us. Yet, no appreciation
whatsoever is accorded to our cooperation. Rather they killed and massacred our
people (their major customers).
“We are not at war with
the herdsmen, yet they treated us like this in our own country, and in our own
land! The intensity, frequency and ferocity of clashes between herdsmen and
rural farmers especially in the North-Central and Southern Nigeria constitute a
clear and present danger to our national cohesion. The number of deaths, burnt
houses, rapes, and murder of citizenry are too gruesome to be acceptable to any
government.
“The present situation
and development of killings of our people at Nimbo, is unacceptable, and an
affront to the peaceful communities trying to eke out a living from subsistence
farming in their own home.
“Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo also
maintains that cattle rearing is a private business like every other business.
It is therefore an absurdity, an infringement and abuse of citizens’ right for
any legislator or Federal Government to think of acquiring other peoples’ land,
for other peoples’ business, as suggested by the Grazing Reserve Bill 2016
being discussed by the National Assembly.
