The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba AbdulRasheed Adewale Akanbi, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu, on the need to prioritise the security of lives and properties of Nigerians.
The Osun monarch in a personal letter to President Tinubu said he was compelled to offer words of advice on the current security situation in the country as a royal father.
Oluwo noted that he needed to offer solutions because, at this critical moment, Nigeria needs everyone to nip in the bud the recurrent kidnapping, banditry and terrorism plaguing the nation.
According to him, the recent security threat originating from incessant kidnapping by bad elements or alleged herdsmen called for an urgent panacea, saying that he suggested to the last administration both long-term and short-term solutions.
“The kidnapping in the western part of Nigeria is alleged to be masterminded by the Fulani herdsmen believed to know the nooks and crannies of our bushes. This claim has not exonerated even the Yorubas. Evidence of some arrests recorded in the past shows a greater percentage of kidnappings in the Southwest are carried out by the bad elements among the Fulanis.
“The Fulani herdsmen are practically Nigerians. They exercise their civic rights during elections. They participate in the process of electing new leaders but are not properly integrated into society during the sharing of the dividends of democracy. They live a deplorable life with no access to social amenities such as roads, pipe-borne water, electricity, hospitals, schools etc. Only animals are so neglected in the bush and hunted only when one is hungry. We can’t continue treating them awfully and expect them to treat us well,” Oluwo said.
The monarch however expressed optimism that the Bola Tinubu administration will ensure Fulanis in the forest are catered for.
“A special national program should be launched with effective monitoring to ensure Fulani children are in the classroom. Amenities should equally be extended to their doorsteps. Extending social amenities will make them flow along and bridge the social gap.
“Arresting those children from the bush to the four walls of classrooms requires the promotion of ranching. Understanding is key while education is the door to peace. I want to appeal to Your Excellency to assent a legislation that will compel education for children and enact strict punishment for parents refusing to educate their children.
“The government must invest heavily in sponsoring a few of the Fulanis on ranching. The few trained will train others (Training the trainers). I have done it in the past,” he added.
Oba AbdulRasheed further advocated the commencement of a special national programme to effectively monitor and ensure Fulani children are in the classroom.
“Amenities should equally be extended to their doorsteps. Extending social amenities will make them flow along and bridge the social gap,” he advised.
