Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, has cautioned his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed, against setting Nigeria on fire with his provocative and insensitive rhetoric.
Akeredolu was responding to Mohammed’s comment that herdsmen do not require the permission of the Ondo State governor to reside in any forest of their choice.
Akeredolu had directed herdsmen in Ondo State’s forest reserve to leave within seven days or face the wrath of the government. The Bauchi governor countered Akeredolu, arguing that the governor does not have the right to issue a vacation notice to herders in the state.
Mohammed said: “Land is in the hands of the state and federal governments in trust but Nigerians don’t need the permission of governors or the federal government to settle everywhere. You don’t need the permission of the governor of Bauchi or the governor of Ondo to be in the forests of Ondo if you choose to live in the forests because under Section 41 of the constitution, you are free to settle anywhere,”
Akeredolu, through his Special Assistant on New Media, Olabode Richard Olatunde, his principal would not engage Mohammed who has the mindset of a crisis entrepreneur and war monger.
He said: ”He is going to engage or confront anyone who has the mindset of a crisis entrepreneur or war monger. Very provoking and insensitive as the statement appears, we can only err on the side of caution by advising Governor Bala Mohammed not set Nigeria on fire by his thoughts that are highly destructive and undermining national cohesion.
“Nigerians should ignore him and rather focus on those issues that can bring about peace and engender unity.
“He is stronger war monger than killers and criminals under any guise and without any colouration,” he said.