By Chido Nwangwu. Founder & Publisher of the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper on the internet, USAfricaonline.com and USAfrica magazine (Houston)
Nigeria’s Senate minority leader (PDP Abia State), Enyinnaya Abaribe has characterized as “disheartening” and “very unfortunate” the comments by Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami where Malami made controversial comments that the ban on cattle open grazing by the Fulani herdsmen could be likened to banning the auto spare parts trading business. The Senator asked: “What’s the correlation between spare parts sellers in a rented shop or government properly designated area and marauding Fulani herders destroying farms, killing and raping thus trampling on people’s private properties and means of livelihood? Such a divisive statement from a top federal government official, in fact the Chief legal adviser to the federal government at that, exposes a very dangerous mindset . This disposition has no doubt raised the tension in Nigeria to a frightening level.”
The AGF had argued “It is about constitutionality within the context of the freedoms expressed in our constitution. Can you deny the rights of a Nigerian? For example: it is as good as saying, perhaps, maybe, the northern governors coming together to say they prohibit spare parts trading in the north…. Does it hold water? Does it hold water for a northern governor to come and state expressly that he now prohibits spare parts trading in the north?”
Senator Abaribe countered by pointing that “While the local “bureau de change” business mostly done by the Fulanis are operating in all parts of Nigeria, why have they not elicited any resentment of other Nigerians? It is simply because they live and do their business peacefully without any problem. It is the murderous activities of Fulani herders that have given rise to the current demand for laws that will bring about peaceful coexistence of all Nigerians.
“Why should an Attorney general of the federation be so fixated in evoking ethnic/regional fault lines when duty calls for him to be a statesman. It is disheartening that Mr. Abubakar Malami has chosen to debase our country. He has indeed questioned Nigeria’s unity. Very unfortunate”, Senator Abaribe said in a statement signed by his media adviser Uchenna Awom.
