From: Ishola Michael, Bauchi
A onetime Governor of Bauchi State, Malam Isa Yuguda has opined that the Fulani who have engaged in kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities were forced into it as a means of revenge against perceived injustice meted on them.
Isa Yuguda expressed the opinion over the weekend when he interacted with Journalists in his Bauchi residence in a buildup to the next Saturday gubernatorial and state Houses of Assembly elections.
He said that, “as a Fulani man, we went to Zamfara up to the kidnappers den in the bush seeking to know why they are in to banditry, kidnappings and other criminal activities, and we understood that they took up Arms to revenge.”
According to him, “because their parents were killed, maimed and raped, and their cattles were rustled , even their grazing reserves were seized. In Bauchi here, grazing reserves were allocated to a business man, cattle routes were taken over, how do you want them to survive in the interest of justice.”
He also said that in Nigeria, Fulani are the largest Population, we have over 50 million Fulani in Nigeria, no President will joke with this number of people. Something urgent needs to be done to assuage them in order to have peace.”
Isa Yuguda however expressed confidence that the election of President elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will strengthen the unity of Nigeria as one country as he will effectively tackle the issue of banditry, kidnappings and farmers- herders clashes in Nigeria.
The former Governor also said that before the Presidential election, Kano state Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje organized a conference for Fulani in which University Dons across the country presented meaningful papers on how to resolve the issues.
He said that at the end of the conference, “we developed a blue which will be presented to Bola Tinubu after he takes the oath of office which he pledged to implement in order to addressed the problems affecting Fulani in Nigeria.”
He said that livestock of Fulani is the only meat that was not imported in to the country ,which helped to boost the socio-economic of the country.
Isa Yuguda then advised people with different opinions over the election of Bola Tinubu to sheath their swords and accept him as a true leader chosen by the Almighty to rule the country because he won with the majority of votes cast.
He also said that the election of Bola Tinubu will strengthen the unity of Nigeria and will help to tackle the socio-economic problems bedeviling the country.
Isa Yuguda, who is a chieftain of the ruling APC, said that he was confident that with Bola Tinubu at the helm of affairs, the problem of Fulani would be addressed stressing that, “We are very positive that the APC government of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will address the problem.”
“Of course, I am very positive that he will address all the socio-economic problems bedeviling the country. If Nigerians are wise, if you are there to appraise somebody based on performance, among all the candidates that contested with Bola Tinubu, he is the only person that has something to show for people to see. Do you know that Lagos today, is a middle income economy? It is no longer part of the Nigerian economy,”, he added.
According to him,”Who made it possible? Is it not Tinubu? Or are you going to deny him the credit of having set up structures? He laid the foundation for the Governors after him and he has the capacity to headhunt,, today Lagos is like Medinah or any model country or city in the world”.
He also said that Nigerians should accept him and allow him to do his best as a patriot to develop the country.
Isa Yuguda expressed his gratitude to the people of Bauchi State for coming out en mass and voted for Bola Tinubu at the last Presidential election.
He said that he has been going round the States of the country to mobilize grassroots votes for the APC candidates from the President elect, Bola Tinubu.
