The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, MACBAN, to order over its threat to forcefully remove the president of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki.
MACBAN co-ordinator in Benue State, Garus Gololo, had stated that Saraki would be forced out of office if he refused to resign his position immediately.
Gololo claimed that Saraki had created numerous problems for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Reacting via a statement on Thursday, August 23, 2018 Ndi Kato, MBF Coordinator of Public Communication, lamented that the statement was made in Benue where lives and property of countless indigenes have been lost to attacks by herdsmen.
Below is the full statement of the Middle Belt Forum made available to The Trent.
The Executive Committee of the Middle Belt Forum read with deep concern, the statement by Garus Gololo, an official of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, MACBAN, who in official capacity for his organisation which to the best of our knowledge is a small trade union of a specific agricultural product, declared that Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki should resign from his position as the Senate President or he will be forced to do so.
This statement was made in Benue State where the lives and properties of countless indigenes have been lost to attacks by herdsmen. As a result of these targeted attacks on Benue and most states in the Middle Belt, our region is knee deep in a mismanaged humanitarian crisis spanning several states.
This threat by the leadership of Miyetti Allah is not only insulting, it is inciting and we believe, issued with the intention to heat up the polity.
The Middle Belt Forum has observed the consistency with which leaders of Miyetti Allah expend inciting statements on National issues well beyond their reach and we are at the juncture where we must stand firm and insist ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
Miyetti Allah must be called to order!
Nigerians cannot understand the root of this audacity by Miyetti Allah to pour fuel on National issues from the heavy loss of human lives in several parts of our nation to sensitive political issues.
Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki is not only the Senate President but the highest office holder in the Middle Belt. A threat to his office by non political actors is a threat to democracy; a threat to his person is a threat to the leadership of our region.
The entire Middle Belt is currently grappling for stability in the midst of chaos, land grabbing and mass killings.
WE CALL FOR CAUTION!
We call on well meaning Nigerians to rebuke such statements and the intentions behind them as these are direct threats to our democracy.
We call on our National Security Agencies to in the interest of National Peace and stability, invite Alhaji Garus Gololo for questioning.
Finally, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari to put his foot down against such rhetoric in the interest of our nation.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Signed:
Ndi Kato
Coordinator of Public Communication
Middle Belt Forum
