The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has berated the Federal Government for planning to set up a radio station to reach out and persuade Fulani herdsmen to stop killing farmers.
Speaking to newsmen on Thursday, CAN spokesman, Pastor Bayo Oladeji, described the plan as a confirmation of the allegation by former President Olusegun Obasanjo about the planned Fulanisation of the country by the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.
He said the FG is pampering the Fulani herdsmen, whom he said, had been described as one of the deadliest terrorist group in the world by the Global Terrorism Index.
According to him, despite the wanton killings by the group in the North-Central, not a single person had been prosecuted by the government.
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He said, “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?
“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.
Recall that the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, had in an interview with journalists on Wednesday said the Federal Government had acquired an Amplitude Modulation broadcast radio licence for the herdsmen as part of efforts to end perennial farmers-herders’ clashes.
He said the radio station will operate on the frequency of 720 KHz and will broadcast in the Fulfulde language, mainly spoken by the Fulani people.
“The radio service will serve as a vehicle for social mobilisation and education, in addition to interactive radio instruction methodology that will be adopted to reach the very hard-to-reach segment of our target population,” Adamu said.
“Additionally, it will enhance our capacity to address crisis between herders and farmers with attendant consequences to loss of lives, destruction of productive assets, nomadic schools, facilities teaching and learning resources.”