Outrage over Zamfara governor's threat against southerners

The influential Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) on Friday ruled Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State out of order over his comment that southerners in the north should not expect protection if the killing of northerners resident in the south does not stop.

Matawalle in a statement on Thursday on the state of the nation had deplored the attacks on northerners in parts of the south, saying the south should not think it has a monopoly of violence.

He labeled the south increasingly unfriendly, adding that northerners’ lives, dignity and possessions are being threatened “even as we try as northern leaders to always calm the situation and to protect the interest, businesses and dignity of all southerners in the north.”

“We will not tolerate any form of intimidation any longer,” he said.

But the ACF and the other regional groups believe the governor went too far.

The ACF said the governor’s statement was ‘the easiest way’ to destroy Nigeria.

It said it was totally against such a comment notwithstanding the fact that it came from a serving governor.

National Publicity Secretary of ACF, Emmanuel Yawe, told The Nation on the phone that there was nothing to justify Matawalle’s hard line stance.

“You know we held our NEC meeting yesterday (Thursday) and we issued a communique where we took a position on that. Our position contradicts that of the governor and we stand by our statement,” Yawe said.

He added: “ACF does not recommend or support self-help. If somebody breaks the law, the person should be taken to the law enforcement agents. People should not be encouraged to take the law into their own hands.

“It is not justifiable to say that because northerners are being killed in the south, we are also going to kill southerners in the north. That is not correct and ACF is against it. That is the easiest way to destroy this country if everyone takes the law into his hands and decides to revenge. We are completely against that.

“We witnessed such in1966 and we saw where it took us. So, we are against it even if a governor is making such statement.”

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) could not be reached yesterday, but in a joint communiqué it signed with other northern groups at the end of the Northern People’s Summit, it urged restraints and urged northern communities to continue be good hosts to southerners living in their midst.

They specifically asked the federal and state governments to “take firmer steps to protect members of northern communities who live in the south. This includes the arrest and prosecution of persons who are involved in these dangerous activities.

“The North urges Northern communities to continue to exercise restraint and continue to be good hosts to Southerners living in the North.”

Yoruba in the North: Matawalle’s statement uncalled for

The leadership of the Yoruba community in the 19 northern states and Abuja described the governor’s statement as uncalled for.

Chairman Yoruba Council of Obas and Chiefs in Northern Nigeria, Alhaji Mohammed Arigbabuwo, said Matawalle ought to have invested his energy in reaching out to his colleagues in the south and demanding provision of adequate security for northerners in their states.

“We are not happy with the governor’s statement. Such statement should not have come from a leader holding sensitive position of a state governor,” Arigbabuwo said.

He’s not talking like a leader, says Ohanaeze

National spokesman for Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Alex Ogbonnia, said: “It is unreasonable for the governor to be accusing the south of attacking northerners. He is not talking like a leader.

“I am sure that he is just trying to gain the support of APC in order to win a second term in office, otherwise, it is not necessary.

“I am disappointed at the way the man spoke. The problem is about herdsmen having issues with the local farmers and in the course of the clash people get killed.

PANDEF: He’s just reckless

The National Publicity Secretary of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Hon Ken Robinson, described Matawalle’s statement as not only reckless but irresponsible.

He said: “Nobody expected that from a governor. Such statements are condemnable. They are not statements that people who call themselves leaders or governors should make against the background of what is happening in the country.

“What we want to ask the governor of Zamfara State is that all the kidnapping by the bandits and all the ransom that they are paying to them, is it being carried out or perpetrated by people from the south?

“Is it that he can tolerate students, elderly women and men being kidnapped and ransom being paid to bandits?