FG Builds Radio Station for Fulani Herdsmen, Southern, Middle Belt leaders reacts

The Federal Government says it has acquired an Amplitude Modulation radio broadcast licence to reach herdsmen across various locations in the country as parts of measures to enhance nomadic education.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, stated this in Abuja during an interview with newsmen, adding that the establishment of the radio frequency was to end the perennial farmers-herders crises across the country.

The minister noted that the radio service would operate on frequency of 720KHz, and would air in Fulani language, as the government believes that the radio medium is one of the viable means to reach the herdsmen.

He stated that plans were underway to secure funds for the procurement and installation of requisite transmission equipment for the successful take-off of the radio station.

Adamu said, “The radio service will serve as a vehicle for social mobilisation and education, in addition to interactive radio instruction methodology that will be adopted to reach the very hard-to-reach segment of our target population.

“Additionally, it will enhance our capacity to address crisis between herders and farmers with attendant consequences to loss of lives, destruction of productive assets, nomadic schools, facilities teaching and learning resources.”

The Executive Secretary, National Commission for Nomadic Education, Prof. Bashir Usman, said Hausa broadcasters have been contacted to develop programmes that would add impetus to the commission’s effort towards mass education of the target group.

SOUTHERN AND MIDDLE BELT LEADERS REACTS

Meanwhile, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum has lambasted the Federal Government for acquiring an Amplitude Modulation radio broadcast licence to reach Fulani herdsmen across various locations in the country.

The Forum said in a statement jointly signed by Yinka Odumakin, Prof Chigozie Ogbu, Senator Bassey Henshaw and Dr. Isuwa Dogo, that the move was ill-advised.

The Forum described the move as an indictment on the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The statement reads in part, “The announcement came at a time the Federal Government has been acting as the information arm of Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen by dissing the correct interpretation of the groups’ activities as attempts to Fulanise Nigeria.

“We totally reject this insensitive decision of the government.”

The Forum said the setting up of the radio station smacks of hypocrisy and deception for a government that has, in the last four years, denied responsibility on behalf of the Fulani herdsmen for crimes the herdsmen even owned up to.

The group noted that Section 55 of the 1999 Constitution recognises English,Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo as languages in which the official business of the National Assembly can be conducted.

“There was no mention of Fulani, which is not a language most northerners even understand.

“Why its sudden promotion to a language the Federal Government will set up a radio to promote?

“Will it also set up radio stations for the officially recognised languages and the over 250 languages spoken in different parts of Nigeria?” the group asked.

The Forum said it feared that the proposed radio would become a weapon of spreading hate propaganda against other nationalities in Nigeria, given the way with which the Buhari administration has handled the killings of thousands of Nigerians in the last four years.

It added, “We recall the genocide-aiding role radio played in inciting ordinary citizens to take part in the massacre of Tutsis and moderate Hutus during the Rwandan Genocide.

“From 1993 to late 1994 ,RTLM was used by Hutu leaders to broadcast an extremist Hutu message and anti-Tusti disinformation by identifying specific targets and areas where they could be found and encouraging progress of the genocide.

“In 1994, Rwanda Radio began to advance the same message by issuing directives on where to kill Tutsis and congratulating those who had already taken part.”