Linking Fulani with killer nomads wrong, says Rochas Okorocha

• Wants perpetrators treated as murderers, criminals
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State says the association of Fulani to the killer herdsmen in parts of the country by a couple of Nigerians is in bad taste. He reminded the citizens that the ethnic group has prominent men and women who have contributed to the growth of the nation.

The governor also stated that the state only has cattle market and not colony, urging the indigenes to go into the lucrative business, as the state government would support them via ranching.

Okorocha, who spoke at the weekend when he received the national leaders of the Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim, led by their Prelate, Solomon Alao, at Government House, Owerri, urged that the killer herdsmen should be spotted and treated as murderers and criminals. He said the contributors to the cattle colony proposal were largely emotional and unrealistic.

His words: “The fact remains that no one in this country has the right to take another person’s life in whatever disguise. For herdsmen to kill anybody is not right and that must be condemned. But it is wrong to stigmatise the Fulani race because of the actions of some of the herdsmen. We must call a criminal, a criminal irrespective of where the person comes from.

“We cannot be calling the Igbo kidnappers or 419ers; Niger Delta people terrorists or militants; the Hausa Boko Harams or Fulani people killer herdsmen because of the activities of a few criminals from their areas. That is the issue. A criminal is a criminal irrespective of tribe or religion. We cannot allow certain sentiments to becloud our sense of reasoning.”

According to him, wealth creation remains paramount in the country. He advised Nigerians to be alive to the belief that there is power in spoken words, thus people should begin saying good things about the nation and not to condemn always.

Primate Alao said the church and most Christians nationwide were against the cattle colony policy because that it would not guarantee peace. Instead, he backed ranching.

The spiritual leader commended the governor for what he described as ‘’massive infrastructural transformation’’ in the state.