The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum has rejected the decision of the Federal Government in obtaining licence for the establishment of a Fulani Radio station in the country.
Recall that the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, on Wednesday in Abuja, revealed that the government had acquired an Amplitude Modulation radio broadcast licence with frequency of 720KHz to reach herdsmen across various locations in the country.
According to the minister, such move was aimed at ending the perennial farmers-herders’ crises through nomadic education across the country.
Mr Adamu said, “The radio service will serve as a vehicle for social mobilisation and education, in addition to interactive radio instruction methodology that will be adopted to reach the very hard-to-reach segment of our target population.
“Additionally, it will enhance our capacity to address crisis between herders and farmers with attendant consequences to loss of lives, destruction of productive assets, nomadic schools, facilities teaching and learning resources.”
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However, in a swift reaction, the group rejected the move, saying that Fulani radio station could be used to promote hateful propaganda against other ethnic groups.
“We totally reject this insensitive decision of the government. The radio smacks of hypocrisy and deception, coming from a government that has in the last four years denied responsibility on behalf of Fulani herdsmen for crimes they (herdsmen) even owned up to,” the group added.
In statement on Wednesday signed by Yinka Odumakin (South-West), Senator Bassey Henahaw (South-South), Dr. Isuwa Dogo (Middle-Belt) and Professor Chigozie Ogbu (South-East), the group said it received the news with rude shock at a time when Nigeria was suffering from the militia activities of Fulani herdsmen.
