The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has rejected the proposed establishment of a Fulani colony in the state. This decision comes after Vice President Kashim Shetima announced the approval of the construction of 1,000 houses in several states, including Benue, for the Fulani community.
The PDP in Benue described the establishment of Fulani colonies as a “deathly serious nature” and vowed to vehemently reject it. The party called on the state governor to remove Benue from the list of states selected for these colonies, stating that the state did not have a peer-to-peer basis for inclusion, as it lacks a substantial indigenous Fulani population with substantial land holdings.
Parts of the statement read, “In other words, in those other states it could be natural to have such colonies where a Fulani population is already in situ and which would seamlessly be accommodated therein.
“Benue has no such indigenous Fulani population with land holdings where such a colony could be established.
“Secondly, it is unjust and ultimately insensitive to have a colony established for the Fulani with all the facilities for modern living in a state where victims of the genocidal atrocities committed by those same Fulani are still displaced from their lands and means of livelihood and living in sub-human conditions in camps which bear semblance to the concentration camps of Nazi Germany during 2nd World War.
“The party regretted that the promise that former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo made in 2018 on behalf of the Federal Government to resettle those displaced back to their lands and also made a pledge of 10 billion to them never materialized.
“That promise by VP Osinbajo has not been fulfilled to this moment and the displaced persons in the IDP camps are still even to date being attacked and killed by Fulani herdsmen right there in the camps and dare not venture near their plundered and desolate ancestral lands to scavenge for food”.
