Open-grazing: Yoruba traditional chiefs warns Atiku against enslaving the people of Southwest zone

Abiodun OBA

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has been warned against enacting a law or supporting any move aimed at enslaving the people of Southwest zone.

The Council of Traditional Baales of Ibadanland, fondly called Community leaders’ warning came over Atiku’s purported plan to enact law to support the open grazing of cattle in Nigeria, if elected in 2023.

Chairman of the Council, Taye Ayorinde, who disclosed this at the launching and award ceremony of the Participating Baales of Ibadanland, held at Ibadan House, Oke-Aremo, Ibadan, added that the Yoruba race would resist any plan to balkanize the region.

“There are laws banning them, herders, in the Southwest, Late Justice Adewale Thompson was the first to pronounce roaming of animals illegal. He did not ban people moving from one place to the other.

“If Chief Atiku’s agenda is to fulanize our land by promulgating draconian illegal laws to suppress us and make animals to eat our crops, then Nigeria include Ibadan, the fastest growing city in Africa, things will not be easy which in Yoruba language means: Ara ko ni ro okun, ara ko ni ro adie.

“Let all the Atiku handlers know that things cannot be the same again like Buhari agenda again in Yorubaland, especially in Ibadan.

“Incidentally, we thereby, condemn the speech of Atiku Abubakar in its entirety that Fulani herders should not be banned. This means, he has a continuous Buhari hidden agenda to take our land for cow.” He stated.

Ayorinde expressed the readiness of the council to collaborate with the government at all levels in the realization of the set economic goal.

“We have discussed at our meetings, the very importance of joining hands with the state and local governments, the mining exploration and collaborating in the industrial exploration, exploitation and utilization of our different mineral resources.

“It will surprise people types of catalogued of many mineral resources we have within various local governments and communities in Ibadan. We have Ibadan minerals more costly than diamond such as Sapphire, gem stone and granite.” He stressed.