Eugene Upah|22 September 2016
Governor Ben Ayade, Commissioner of Police CRS, all Service Chiefs of the federation please kindly take note
Relative peace and security of lives and property is a collective responsibility of every government anywhere in the world. The age long tribal rivalry between the North and South, North and East, East and West, West and East, West and South, North and West, North and South, South and West etc., is an issue that must be exposed and dealt with, if we all as Nigerians must accept the open truth and be ready to embrace peace, and move forward as a people. Because as it stands right now, we are not yet a one people.
I write this few lines full of expectation, and knowing that you all swore to an oath, to protect lives and properties of the Nigerian people, and to be the voice of the voiceless, because I am not sure president Muhammadu Buhari has been properly briefed and advised about this matter; the Fulani herdsman, and their many bloodletting meted on other ethnic tribes of the nation.
On September 14, 2016, the good people of Ishibori, Ogoja, Cross River State, most of whom are farmers, went out en masse to attend to their routine (yearly) cultural festival; the New Yam Festival to harvest their farm produce to enable them celebrate, just like most other communities did, and will do in time to come but met their waterloo after heavily armed Fulani herdsmen attacked, maimed, and even killed two in the process. The duel, according to an eye witness, started at about 8:15 am when some armed Fulani herdsmen had laid ambush for the poor farmers knowing they would come to harvest farm produce in preparation for the main festival which is mainly on the 15th of September every year. The poor farmers, whom are between ages 25 to 80 started running for their dear lives, and in the process many sustained uncountable injuries, while also forfeiting their aim of collecting food and other products.
Your Excellency Sir, I started hearing about the “one Nigeria” slogan when I was only 5 years old, but am yet to come to live with its true meaning because I thought that oneness meant that we love, share, and stand for each other as a people. What amazed me most was that the Herdsmen in question chased these people and in the process were shouting “we will chase and kill all of you and own this country”. What a threat! The issue is not even that these poor farmers got beaten up and chased away from their farms, the point is, how does an 80 year old farmer run for his or her dear life when being chased? How does an 80 year old protect himself from being attacked by a weapon wielding opponent?
Sir, the people of Ogoja are not the only ones in this quagmire. It cuts across other zones of the country that are mostly non northern tribes. Only this morning, one Isaac Udoh was attacked by some Fulani herdsmen while on transit for no just cause. He was stopped while driving and pierced with sticks and a knife, the target was to end his life by this blood sucking demons. He managed to escape death by the whiskers. There are many of such similar events nationwide that we don’t even know of. Activities such as these are capable of inciting and igniting crisis between people, tribes if not properly handled at its inception because no one sleeps with his eyes closed when they know they are prone to an attack. My prayer is for Mr. President and the service chiefs to map out modalities to tackling this ugly menace especially now that the government is doing its possible best to rid the scourge of the Boko Haram. A few days ago I watched the government launching a “change begins with me” programme. Let the change be affected by all sectors, even the Fulani attackers.
Once again, I write these few lines full of expectation, and I do so very hopeful that action will be taken for I know that it will be in the best interest of the people of Cross River State and Nigeria in general. Thank you.
Long Live Cross River State.
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Eugene Upah
Writes from Calabar
simplyeugenik@gmail.com
