February 12, 2025

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FG’s proposed radio station for herdsmen confirms planned Fulanisation of Nigeria – CAN * Says Buhari pampering terrorists  * Southerner leaders fume  * Sultan of Sokoto, ACF hail proposal

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FG’s proposed radio station for herdsmen confirms planned Fulanisation of Nigeria – CAN

* Says Buhari pampering terrorists
* Southerner leaders fume
* Sultan of Sokoto, ACF hail proposal
By Steve Oko

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has cried foul over Federal Government’s proposal to build a radio station for Fulani herdsmen, alleging that  the move is a confirmation of the alarm by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, about the planned total ‘Fulanisation’ of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari.

CAN said that any person still in doubt of the rumoured agenda to  Islamise Nigeria was  living in self deceit as the evil plot is now very obvious on the horizon.

Federal Government had claimed that the radio station when set up would serve as a channel to disuade the killer Fulani herdsmen from wanton blood-letting.

But piqued by the proposal,  CAN spokesman, Pastor Bayo Oladeji, disagreed with the federal government, arguing that such measure would not deter herdsmen from their killing spree.

The umbrella Christian body argued that if the federal government were sincere , it could have also reached the herdsmen through the existing radio stations instead of building a separate one for them.

CAN accused the FG of pampering the Fulani herdsmen, despite being designated one of the deadliest terrorist groups in the world by the Global Terrorism Index.

Oladeji observed that despite the wanton killings by the group in the North-Central, federal government is yet to prosecute any of the perpetrators.

He said the federal government under the watch of Buhari had treated herdsmen with kid gloves despite their barbaric attacks against innocent citizens.

CAN also expressed shock and displeasure over the N100 billion the federal government  reportedly gave to Miyetti Allah to persuade the killer herdsmen from rampaging communities.

 “It was reported in the newspapers that the government planned to give the Miyetti Allah N100bn. The government denied it only for the Miyetti Allah to own up, saying it was approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan. Who is fooling who?

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“Why didn’t they set up a radio station for farmers too? Where is the radio station for the bandits in Zamfara, or for the Niger Delta militants? No single person has been prosecuted for the killings in the North-Central. Is the allegation by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that there is a planned Fulanisation of the country not playing out now?

“Every adult in the North listens to the radio, so why can’t they reach the herdsmen on the existing radio stations? Why do they need to set up a different radio station for them? They should stop fooling us,” it added.

Corroborating CAN’s position, Southerner and Middle Belt leaders have strongly condemned the move describing it as a danger signal. 

The SMBL, in a statement jointly signed by Yinka Odumakin, Prof Chigozie Ogbu, Senator Bassey Henshaw and Dr Isuwa Dogo, said the move was “ill-advised”.

According to the leaders,  the proposal is   an indictment on the President Buhari administration.

In a statement titled “Fulani Herdsmen Radio: Is it Fulani Government of Nigeria (FGN) now?” the group said, “The announcement came at a time the Federal Government has been acting as the information arm of the Boko Haram sect and Fulani herdsmen by dissecting the correct interpretation of the groups’ activities as an attempt to Fulanise Nigeria. We totally reject this insensitive decision of the government.”

According to the forum , setting up a radio station for herdsmen is nothing but  “hypocrisy and deception by a government that has in the last four years denied responsibility on behalf of the Fulani herdsmen for crimes the herdsmen even owned up to”.

The group noted that Section 55 of the 1999 Constitution recognised English, Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo as languages in which the official business of the National Assembly could be conducted.

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“There was no mention of Fulani which is not a language most northerners even understand. Why its sudden promotion to a language the Federal Government will set up a radio to promote? Will it also set up radio stations for the officially recognised languages and the over 250 languages spoken in different parts of Nigeria?” the group asked.

It added, “We fear seriously that the proposed radio will become a weapon of spreading hate propaganda against other nationalities in Nigeria given the kid glove’s treatment with which the Buhari administration has handled the killings of thousands of Nigerians in the last four years.

“We recall the genocide-aiding role radio played in inciting ordinary citizens to take part in the massacre of the Tutsis and the moderate Hutus during the Rwandan genocide.

“From 1993 to late 1994, the RTLM was used by Hutu leaders to send an extremist Hutu message and anti-Tutsi disinformation by identifying specific targets and areas where they could be found and encouraging progress of the genocide.

“In 1994, Rwanda Radio began to advance the same message by issuing directives on where to kill the Tutsi and congratulating those who had already taken part.

But in a swift opposition, the Secretary-General of the JNI, Dr Abubakar Khalid-Aliyu, hailed the proposal and chided all those criticising the move.

The JNI Secretary described   the Federal Government’s decision as “a right step in the right right step “.

“Who suffers the problem of not being well informed? What is bad when the Fulani man is being educated to become well-informed members of the society?

” I wonder what is happening to Nigerians that whenever something positive is brought on board, it will be given miscellaneous interpretations just to show that we don’t agree.

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“As far as we are concern, radio is part of the tools which can be used to enlighten the people, through the radio, education is being achieved and bringing people together is also being achieved. So, I wonder what is bad in this. It is a right step in the right direction.”

Similarly, the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF said the Federal Government’s decision on the radio station for the Fulani herdsmen was a laudable project. 

 National Publicity Secretary of the forum, Alhaji Muhammadu Ibrahim-Biu, who identified lack of education as the major cause of havoc in Nigeria said the problem would be half solved.

ACF blasted those opposed to the proposal.

 “The radio licence obtained by the Federal Government for the purpose of public enlightenment, particularly for herdsmen against violent attitude, especially killing of innocent people which is a criminal offence is commendable as long as perpetrators of such crimes are sanctioned in accordance with the law.

“As you are fully aware, lack of education contributes in no small measure in stoking banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom, insurgency and unwarranted killings by some bandits and gunmen.

“The ACF therefore supports the wisdom in the FG decision to obtain a radio licence for the purpose of enlightenment of herdsmen on peaceful co-existence and unity.

“After all, the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria station in Kaduna runs a Fulfulde enlightenment programme for the Fulani-speaking Nigerians on government policies and programmes.”

Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria.

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