Go Ahead With Ban On Open Grazing, Ignore Buhari – Ezekwesili To Southern Govs

The former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, has urged southern governors to disregard the Presidency’s criticism of their decision to ban open grazing in the region.

Ezekwesili, a former education minister, charged the governors to stand their ground in their quest to improve security in the region through the ban on open grazing and movement of cattle by foot.

Governors of the 17 seventeen southern states had recently met and agreed to ban open grazing and push for restructuring of the country, amongst other resolutions.

Northern Leaders Kicks Over Ban On Open Grazing By Southern Governors

However, reports revealed that the Presidency had in its reaction on Monday said that the southern governors offered “no solution” in their resolutions.

Besides describing the southern governors’ move as illegal, the Presidency also accused them of attempting to “demonstrate their power” by engaging in “other acts of politicking”.

But reacting in a series of tweets on Tuesday, Ezekwesili said, “Nothing unites or pushes a people farther apart than the word of their Leader. If I were the President of Nigeria at this time in our History, my words will only always unite not divide my people.”

The former minister added, “All that our Southern Governors need say to the latest statement from the @NGRPresident is: “We stand by our position and are in fact already at the planning phase of our decision for execution.” After all, Brevity is the soul of Business.”

However, The former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, had last week urged Nigerian governors to bypass President Buhari and convene a national unity summit with a view to addressing the issues threatening the nation’s unity.

Bala Mohammed Tells Southern Governors How They Can Implement Open Grazing Ban

“I call on Nigerian Governors to stop waiting on Abuja to make changes, and instead convene a National Unity Summit of all Nigerian Governors to iron out the thorny issues affecting the destiny of our nation until they figure out a way to resolve them,” said Atiku.

He said the governors could implement whatever resolutions they reach by going through their federal and state legislators

“To keep waiting for this Federal Government to take the lead, and effect the changes that Nigeria needs to stop drifting, is to keep waiting for Godot. And that is a luxury we cannot afford,” he said.

Atiku said there wouldn’t have been agitations for secession from different regions of the country if the Buhari-led administration had “immediately and dispassionately” addressed burning issues affecting the people.

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