The apex socio-cultural youth organisation of Ndigbo, Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), has strongly opposed the proposed Ministry of Livestock, describing it as a “tribal time bomb” that could lead to tribal crises and war.
This stance was announced on Monday by the National President General of the OYC, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, during a press briefing in Enugu.
Comrade Igboayaka urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rescind the decision to create the Ministry of Livestock, warning that it could spark tribal conflicts between the Fulani and other tribes in Nigeria.
“The development will be another time bomb that will spark tribal war between Fulani and other tribes in Nigeria,” he stated.
In a statement obtained by the media, Igboayaka recalled the strong resistance faced by former President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration when it attempted to implement the Ruga settlement initiative. He emphasised that President Tinubu should avoid repeating this mistake.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should hasten up to cancel the proposed Ministry of Livestock as initiated by ethnic land grabbers of the Fulani political oligarchy through Miyetti Allah,” he declared.
Igboayaka criticised the recent inauguration of the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms, claiming it is a disguised reintroduction of the Ruga scheme.
He argued that the creation of the Ministry is a strategic move by Fulani political interests to institutionalise land grabbing under the guise of agricultural reform.
“It’s historic that the Yorubas have suffered untold ethnic farmer crises and killings by Fulani herders. Therefore, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s creation of the livestock ministry is an attempt to arm Fulani herders and institutionalise a monster that will pose a threat to consume Yoruba farmers,” he added.
The OYC President further accused the proponents of the Ministry of Livestock of being the same individuals who have pushed for the establishment of Ruga for the past 12 years, spanning the administrations of former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Mohammadu Buhari.
“It’s unfortunate and unacceptable to create ministries or agencies according to the interest, needs, or demands of one section of the country or a particular tribe instead of the national interest,” he noted.
Igboayaka emphasised that the creation of the Ministry, as championed by Miyetti Allah, is a ploy to seize lands from other tribes for Fulani settlements under the pretence of agricultural development.
He vowed that Ndigbo would resist any attempts to establish cattle colonies in Igbo land, which he claimed are designed to serve the interests of Fulani herders.
“Ndigbo will resist any form of cattle colony in Igbo land that serves the interests of Fulani herders, with its further target of land grabbing institutionalisation of Fulani community settlement in Igbo land will ultimately be resisted with the last pint of our blood,” Igboayaka declared.
He also called on other ethnic groups, particularly those in the Middle Belt, who he described as primary targets of Fulani herders’ ethnic cleansing and land grabbing, to rise up and resist the implementation of the livestock reforms.
“I urge other ethnic groups, the Middle Belt who are majorly the target of Fulani herders’ ethnic cleansing and land grabbing to rise up and resist the implementation of the so-called livestock reform,” Igboayaka concluded.
