If Buhari proscribes Shi'ites but pays herdsmen for terrorising Nigerians, does that promote unity? — Afenifere asks Osinbajo

Vice president, Yemi Osinbajo 

The Yoruba socio- cultural organisation , Afenifere, has Disagreed with Vice president Yemi Osinbajo for saying no region of the country will prosper should the country splits.

The group argued that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is doing everything possible to disintegrate the country.



The Publicity Secretary of the organisation, Yinka Odumakin, in a statement said if the government will proscribed Shi'ites, even though they have committed no act of terrorism, but are paying Fulani herdsmen who are terrorising Nigerians, how does that promote unity in the country?

He said, “What are they doing to prevent the break - up? The President said yesterday that Abiola would have solved ethnic and religious problem in Nigeria, why are they not solving it? Why are they doing all kinds of things that can divide the country?



“So if break - up is not the solution, why are all the actions they are taking making the break - up inevitable? The Fulani people are doing so many things in the country; they are not doing anything against them. You are doing many things that can break up the country and yet you are saying break -up is not the solution.

“What kind of sermon are they preaching? If they are declaring Shi ’ites group as terrorists, what act of terrorism have they done? Whereas those who are perpetrating terror in Nigeria , you are giving them money .”


Odumakin urged the President to lead with his principle of ‘I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.’

Similarly, the Secretary - General of the Afenifere, Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa, said the group had never supported disintegration of the country but urged the Federal Government to make policies that would discourage division of the diverse groups in the country.

He said, “The Afenifere has never set out to ask for the break up of Nigeria. As a matter of fact, we don ’t like it. It is those who are pursuing the policy of not making Nigerians good neighbors to one another, those who regard some Nigerians as masters and some as slaves; those, who discriminate and pursue policies of discrimination; those who don’t provide employment for the millions of able - bodied Nigerians even though there are opportunities to do so, that could break up the country


“Some Nigerians have the opportunity to utilise the resources to develop Nigeria but fail to do so. It is these people directly or indirectly , who are breaking up this country.”