No Justification for Comparing Us to Miyetti Allah – Ohanaeze

  • Ohanae says comparison with MACBAN is bad.
  • Alleges bribery of the Miyetti Allah by the presidency.

The Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze, has lambasted the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, for likening the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria to their group.

Shehu had stated that Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) are a social group like Afenifere and Ohanaeze, not criminals when he appeared on Channels TV Breakfast programme on Tuesday.

Ohanaeze which stressed it was in the same pedestal with the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), said there was no justification for comparing the Pan-Igbo organisation with Miyetti Allah.

Miyetti Allah: We Are Suprised That Shehu Is Talking Like Someone on Drugs – Afenifere

Ohanaeze’s spokesman, Uche Achi-Okpaga,  in an interview with Punch said it was bad for the presidential spokesman to compare a regional organisation committed to the unity of its people with “a group of criminals.”

He said the Ohanaeze Ndigbo could only be compared with the Arewa Consultative Forum in the North, Afenifere in the South-West and other regional organisations.

“There is no justification for such a comparison. It is a bad comparison. If he is comparing Miyetti Allah with Ohanaeze, then what is Arewa Consultative Forum compared to?

“Ohanaeze is a regional body that is promoting the unity of the Igbo; so also is Afenifere to the Yoruba and the ACF to northerners. We also have the Middle Belt Forum in the North-Central and PANDEF for the South-South.

“You can never put Ohanaeze and Miyetti Allah on the same pedestal. Even at that, Miyetti Allah members are herdsmen who are tormenting Nigerians and you are hobnobbing with them, what are you telling Nigerians?” he asked.

While alleging that they are the ones invading villages, killing people, Achi-Okpaga asked where the alleged cash given to the Miyetti is coming from.

“This is an organisation that the Global Terrorist Index has described as the world’s fourth deadly terrorist organisation.

“Where is the money the government has agreed to give them coming from? From which sub-head will it come? Does the President have the power to just give out money to any organisation that comes to negotiate with him?

“These people are just negotiating with criminals. We are in a state of lawlessness.”

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