Re: Numan may be different

Thank you Dr. Aliyu Tilde for your timely write-up about the ongoing ethnic cleansing being met out to our cattle breeders across the country. When the town and city dwellers are the object of attack, the entire country is in crisis, but when the ‘illiterate’ Fulani herders are the victims and target, nothing happens, nobody […]

Thank you Dr. Aliyu Tilde for your timely write-up about the ongoing ethnic cleansing being met out to our cattle breeders across the country.

When the town and city dwellers are the object of attack, the entire country is in crisis, but when the ‘illiterate’ Fulani herders are the victims and target, nothing happens, nobody cares and no action is taken. Our poor Fulani herders, who roam the width and breath of Nigeria with their herds supplying the urban population with milk, protein and raw materials (hides and skin) for the industries have never enjoyed any of the developmental and civilisational gains in the form of education, shelters, roads, schools, health care, security  and leadership.

Yes sir, leadership!!! Though, most of those who ruled and are ruling the country are the Town Fulani successors of the great revolutionary leader, Othman Dan Fodio who hate and ignored their bush dwelling cousins. Not one of them ever thought of bringing the cattle breeders along. It was only Professor Jibrin Aminu who introduced the Nomadic Education with the sole purpose of teaching the nomadic Fulani the modern method of animal breeding and some basic education, which was to prepare them to the current realities.

But what followed after Prof. Aminu left the educational sector was appalling. The idea was killed. Today, the person heading Nomadic Education is not acquainted with the problems of nomadic life or animal husbandry as he is not even a Fulbe city dweller, but a Yoruba man. Nobody can genuinely represent the interests of this section other than their own. A Fulbe city dweller cannot really appreciate the situation and problems associated with nomadic life in a fast growing population like Nigeria. 

The current ongoing crisis hasn’t yet drawn the attention of the numerous urbanized Fulani who are governors, ministers and ultimately President. It’s high time to act.

Dr.  Saidu Samaila, Abuja.