The South West Governors Forum has reacted to calls by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) for Fulani herdsmen to quit any part of Southern Nigeria where their safety could not be guaranteed.
He urged the herdsmen to return to the North for their own safety.
But in a statement he personally signed, the Ondo State Governor and Chairman of South West Governors Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu SAN, said that the state governments in the region would continue to rely on security agencies to resolve the security lapses that led to such calls.
Akeredolu, who did not mention NEF by name, however condemned the group’s “divisive and retrogressive statement in the strongest terms possible”.
The governor’s statement, which was made available to journalists on Friday, read, “With no intention to engage anyone, it is incumbent on us, as elected representatives of our people in the South West Region of the country, to denounce this divisive and retrogressive statement in the strongest terms possible.
“The Southwest Governors viewed the report with palpable trepidation and outrage, the sustained attempts to fan the ember of discord, seizing every opportunity offered by the current security challenge to undermine the unity and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.”
“It is appalling, to assert the least, that the tragic incident, which claimed the life of Mrs. Funke Olakunrin, the daughter of Pa Fasoranti, the leader of Afenifere, would be used by certain persons to advance the cause of parochial and prebendal politics.
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“We intend to get to the root of the sad occurrence as we await the findings of security agencies on the unfortunate incident.”
“The governors and the people of the South West are working assiduously, at the current security challenges with a view to finding lasting solutions to curtail the nefarious activities of undesirable elements bent on wrecking our collective peace.
”We are not unaware of the antics of certain elements, who hope to garner political mileage from the contrived crises in virtually all parts of the country.
“We are equally convinced that this confusion serves the narrow interests of some persons.
“The country has a rich history; she has had to encounter adversities in the course of her transition to nationhood.
“She has overcome them all. This distraction will also pass. We look up to the security agencies to take cohesive steps to curtail this major challenge of insecurity which engenders hopelessness.
“We can only enjoin all citizens, on our part, to be patient and continue to cooperate with them as they combat the festering crises.
“We on our part have taken great strides with the hope that great success will be achieved.
“We, however, note, with discomfiture, the unpatriotic acts of some Nigerians, who will stop at nothing in their bid to undermine the Federal Government.”