16th March, 2016
Dear Mr President,
It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter and I pray уσυ would get the message and act swiftly as expected. To begin with, I am not a politician neither do I belong to any political party. I remain a witness to conscience and a disciple of truth. It's only when I observe the belligerent posture of things, that I get prompted to write. When I wrote few days ago that the hardship in our land is pregnant with twins and nursing a baby, it appeared as if I exaggerated the situation on ground. Today, things are getting worse. We have been through worst in the last few days and suffered enough under the weigh of this economic crunch. No electricity, no fuel, no job, no money..
I know the people around уσυ may detest any news report that tends to suggest that people are going through excruciating hardship but some of us who are ordinary Nigerians would say it as it is. However, I shall leave this matter for another ∂αy.
My concern and the main reason for this letter is to call your attention to the activities of your kinsmen on most land they visited throughout the country. I mean the Fulani militias and herdsmen who wreak havoc and slaughtered innocent Nigerians for reason best known to them.
I have read several articles online where уσυ were mentioned as the Life Patron of the Fulani Cattle Rearers' Association, which is the umbrella organisation of the Fulani herdsmen and militias. If true, then уσυ can use your position and the office уσυ presently occupy to call this people to order. Things are getting out of hand and уσυ don't have to wait till your brothers wipe out some tribes before уσυ spring into action.
Late last year, former Delta State police commissioner, Ikechukwu Aduba, insisted there is something more dangerous than terrorism in Nigeria. According to the interview he granted Nigerian Guardian in Asaba, the retired officer raised alarm over the illegal activities of Fulani cattle rearers and urged уσυ to address the situation before it is too late. He stated, “Boko Haram war is a minor issue when compared with what we are going to experience in the hands of Fulani cattle rearers in the nearest future if the issue is not addressed.
“In some places, especially in Delta State where I served as the commissioner of police, many people cannot go to the farm anymore for
fear of being attacked in the bush by cattle rearers. Many women have been raped in front of their husbands and children. Many people killed by the cattle rearers. It is a pathetic situation if cattle eat up people’s crops in the farm and the farm owner challenges them, it is a
big problem. If the farm owner keeps quite, his toil for the year will be in vain.
Just a few days ago over 300 people were killed by same well-armed Fulani herdsmen in Agatu, Benue State. This is one of several cases all over the nation. What about the recent one in Ketu where some lives were lost? Yet in all of these and I stand to be corrected, that up till now no strong statement has come out from the government at the centre, as regards the activities of the fulani helpmsmen. I therefore want to beseech уσυ to carefully look into the matter and do justice. It would even be more appropriate to set up a committee to investigate some of these killings in order to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Monday 28 March 2016
Saturday 5 March 2016
FEMI ADETAYO: A Tale Of One Outstanding Nigerian Who Makes Me Feel Optimistic About Nigeria's Future. By Saint-Olawale Jimoh
I have met many young people in my life; I chose few as my friends but only three inspire me the most and Femi Adetayo is one of them. I think it was in 2008 if my memory serves me right, that I first met this prodigiously talented safety professional and motivational speaker. Before then, I had been seeing him around at the campus ground of the prestigious Gateway Industrial & Petro-Gas Institute we both attended few years ago. I heard few things about him but I clearly knew who he was and what he stands for when he stopped to talk with me while canvassing students to attend GIPI Students' Fellowship, a campus christian students' fellowship he founded with the support of few other persons.
That day, I imagined what manner of person he was. We had only few lines of discussion and I was overwhelmingly impressed. It was not so much of his composure and pleasing countenance, it was more his sharpness of mind and his intrepidity of utterance. His words were rich and I hoped the conversation would not end that afternoon. He had faith. His mindset was different and for the first tιмє since I began interacting with people, I met a young man whose reasoning was absolutely different from that of any youth I know. He commands things yet nothing moves him, not even material things. Many at times, our anxiety about tomorrow gradually makes us backsliders at some points but here's a young man full of faith, yet so confident about the future.
Today, this public speaker and life coach has touched the lives of so many Nigerian youths as a foremost motivational speaker and youth advocate. Through many radio programmes and several inspirational series on his website, he has helped many young ones find their purpose in life and build outstanding careers. Adetayo has in the last few years inspired numerous Nigerians to create solutions to the overwhelming problems the country is facing.
He simply demonstrates hope that there is much more to us than what people in citadels of power spew at us. Indeed he's an asset to this generation.
For more of Femi Adetayo's inspirational series visit: https://onestopmotivate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)