Presidency Replies Ohanaeze, Afenifere After Calling Miyetti Allah Terrorist Group

The Presidency on Friday responded to the Ohaneze Ndigbo and Afenifere’s rejection of its comparison of both socio-cultural groups to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN).

Presidential spokesperson, Mr Garba Shehu, had during his appearance on Channels TV’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ few days ago said “the Miyetti Allah group is like Ohanaeze and Afenifere. It is a socio-cultural group. There are criminals within the Yoruba race and you cannot say because of that, Afenifere is a group of criminals.”

Shehu was reacting to criticisms that trailed a meeting between the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the Miyetti Allah group. The group had previously been accused of being behind some attacks on villages in parts of Nigeria.

But the presidential spokesperson, during the TV programme, justified the police chief’s meeting with the association of Fulani herders.

Responding however to Shehu’s comparison of its group to MACBAN, Ohanaeze asked the Presidency not to compare it to Miyetti Allah because its does not kill people.

“There is no justification for such a comparison. It is a bad comparison,” Ohanaeze had said in a statement.

The Igbo apex group had said, “Ohanaeze is a regional body that is promoting the unity of the Igbo; so also is Afenifere to the Yoruba and the ACF to northerners. We also have the Middle Belt Forum in the North-Central and PANDEF for the South-South.

“You can never put Ohanaeze and Miyetti Allah on the same pedestal. These people are invading villages, killing people, and you are telling us that they are on the same page with Ohanaeze. There is no justification for that.

“This is an organisation that the Global Terrorist Index has described as the world’s fourth deadly terrorist organisation.

“These people are just negotiating with criminals. We are in a state of lawlessness.”

Similarly, the Afenifere group rejected Shehu’s comparison of its group to the Miyetti Allah, describing it as “most unfair and very unfortunate.”

Afenifere had said, “We are surprised that the spokesperson (Shehu) was talking like someone under the influence of drugs. In Afenifere, we don’t kill, we don’t abduct people.

“How can you compare us to a group of people who have been killing in Enugu, Benue, Ogun and other states?” the group queried.

But responding again on Friday, Mr Shehu said the Presidency was pleased that “Afenifere and Ohaneze Ndigbo found our insights worthy of attention even when they disagreed with our view that they, as socio-cultural associations, represent same interests as Miyetti Allah.”

The presidential spokesperson, in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page said: “The point both socio-cultural groups missed, however, by insisting that government should not to talk to Miyetti Allah is the need to address and engage Nigeria’s ethnic, religious, cultural and economic plurality that was evident when General Yakubu Gowon introduced National Youth Service Corps, NYSC. The need to engage all groups of Nigeria is as much relevant today as it was then.

“The Presidency’s position is that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is equipped to address these issues. The security challenges faced by Nigeria today make the task of addressing the issues very urgent.

“Miyetti Allah, like any other trade, community, ethnic organization or interest group is a legal stake holder in our nation and should be respected. We maintain that the government needs to engage all stakeholders and seek partnership in building our country.

“The activities of Miyetti Allah do not benefit selected ethnicities or Muslims only, but everyone. Long before petroleum became the core of Nigerian economy, agriculture was the main source of Nigerian wealth. Cattle, hides and skin were a major part of Nigerian export.

“It is right to state that there are criminals among every group in Nigeria and in every country. There are criminals among the northern population as there are in the southern part of the country. It is not good to generalise blames. The government will engage each stakeholder and create dialogue between, and among, different groups.

“We note the statement by Ohaneze this morning, who expressed concern about an allegation that government gave N100 billion to Miyetti Allah for dubious reasons. As I said on Channels TV, it is an absolute falsehood. The issue of money was never raised at any of the meetings between the representatives of government and Miyetti Allah. If they had raised it, this government would have dismissed them as yet another dubious group, like the many making claims to be representing our trusting people but serving their own interests.

“We choose again to speak on this because it is dangerous for the public to ignore rumours aimed at inciting people against each other or against the government. The people spreading such rumours should be helped to see the truth and participate in nation building, and not become crisis messengers.

“As the President has stated time and again, transparency and dialogue are essential for public enlightenment and nation building,” said the presidential spokesperson.