- Raise concern over allegation of ethnic cleansing agenda
- They said Buhari was elected to be our Commander in Chief and not mourner in chief
In a state made available to newsmen on Sunday by Ayo Fadaka, Zonal Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Southwest, the National Vice chairman of PDP, chief Eddy Olafeso, and the zonal working committee of the party, have slammed president Muhammadu Buhari for saying that fulani herdsmen were not responsible for the killing of Mrs Olufunke Olakunrin, the daughter of Pa Reuben Fasoranti, the leader of Afenifere.
Starnews reports that Olafeso and the PDP zonal working committee express concern on the continuing carnage and wanton destruction of lives in the South West by alleged criminals of Fulani extraction, which according to them, are now being referred as Fulani herdsmen, saying that, it is time something urgent and cogent be done on the malaise forthwith.
They however advised all the South West Governors to take their responsibilities serious; while they said president Buhari is known for issuing series of condolence messages, reminding him of his job function as Commander in Chief with lot of responsibilities to make Nigeria safe from all strive and lawlessness and not mourner in chief by writing condolence letters always.
The full statement reads:
“The National Vice Chairman of PDP, Dr Eddy Olafeso and indeed the Zonal Working Committee of the Party wishes to express its concern on the continuing carnage and wanton destruction of lives in the South West by criminals of Fulani extraction, now commonly referred to as Fulani herdsmen and now declare that it is time something urgent and cogent be done on this malaise forthwith.”
“We therefore take due notice of the murder of Mrs Olufunke Olakunri, daughter of Yoruba leader, Pa Ruben Fasoranti and thus declare this insult on the Yoruba nation is getting exacerbated. This murder possess a potential devastating effect on the nation as it has further reinforced the fear and distrust of the Yorubas for the immediate future of our nation and its security management which has clearly declined and deteriorated massively under the current dispensation.”
“We also want to reiterate that the Yoruba nation is currently under siege as criminal elements from elsewhere have invaded our land, killing, raping and unduly oppressing us without agencies of State constitutionally saddled with responsibilities to protect us doing enough to manage this crisis in the South West.”
“That the murder of Olufunke is the first high profile committed by these criminals, we hereby affirm that thousands of such murders have been committed by these same criminal Fulani herdsmen across the South West with no attendant repercussions on these criminal bands by agencies of government.”
“That Yoruba people are enraged about these developments and believe that there exist plans to pursue ethnic cleansing in our nation. Due notice is constantly given to the fact that leadership of the Yoruba nation continues to be targeted by these criminal elements who once kidnapped Chief Olu Falae and attacked palaces, thereby desecrating and assaulting our corporate heritage as a people.”
“Once again we urge the South West Governors to take their responsibilities serious. We wish to remind them that the “Yorubaness” in all of us cannot be sacrificed on the alter of partisanship or political expediency. We know that they continue to fail to make President Muhammadu Buhari realize the seriousness of this crisis as they all want to be in his good books, this attitude is irresponsible and cheap. We however commend Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State for his continuing forthrightness and foresight on the issue of security in the South West.”
“We note that President Buhari has once again issued another in the series of condolence messages, commiserating with Pa Ruben Fasoranti, father of Olufunke. In the message, he whimsically rationalize this murder as an armed robbery attack, we however differ and now tell him it was a Fulani herdsmen action, as people in that area of incidence clearly said that the location remains the criminals major theater of operation. We however want to remind the President that he was elected to be our Commander in Chief and not mourner in chief, it is his responsibility to make our nation safe from all strive and lawlessness, not to excuse and rationalize them, or even appear helpless or unimaginative at trying times like this when duty calls. Nigeria must not collapse under his watch as history will hold him responsible for such callous development.”
“We affirm our loyalty to the national leadership of our Party and nation but however wish to state clearly that we are primarily Yorubas, therefore affected, afflicted and traumatized by synchronised attacks on our region,”the statement added.
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