Don’t associate Fulani with killer herdsmen – Okorocha

Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has said that it is morally wrong to stigmatize the Fulani tribe by associating them with killer herdsmen.

The governor said herdsmen who kill should be treated as criminals, warning that herdsmen should not be used as a comfortable acronym to label the Fulani who have men and women contributing to nation-building.

“We cannot be calling Igbos kidnappers or 419ers or Niger Delta people terrorists or militants or Hausa people Boko Harams or Fulani people killer herdsmen because of the activities of few criminals from their areas. That is the issue. A criminal is a criminal irrespective of tribe or religion. We cannot allow certain sentiments to becloud our sense of reasoning,” he said.

He also debunked insinuations that the state has cattle colonies, saying that what the state has is a cattle market located at Lokpanta in Okigwe.

The governor spoke when he received in audience National Leaders of the Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim led by its Supreme Head, the Prelate His Eminence Solomon Alao, at the Government House Owerri at the weekend.

He said the state government is encouraging its indigenes to go into the cattle business because it is lucrative and that government would continue to support them through ranches.

The governor also stated that the major problem with the nation is not true federalism, or resource control or restructuring or Christianity or Islam, zoning or tribalism but lack of wealth creation.

Leader of the delegation, Prelate Solomon Alao, said the Church and most Christians in the country are against Cattle Colony because it will not give the nation peace no matter the intentions behind it, adding that the Church and Christians prefer ranching.