ONDO: Don’t set Nigeria on fire with your rhetorics, Akeredolu warns Mohammed

GOVERNOR Rotimi Akeredolu has warned his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed, not to set the country on fire with his rhetorics.

Describing Mohammed as “a crisis entrepreneur and war monger,” Akeredolu said he would not dignify the stance of the Bauchi governor with a response for the sake of national cohesion and peace.

Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said this in a statement issued today by his Special Adviser on New Media Olabode Olatunde.

The statement was issued against fresh reaction of Bala Mohammed to the eviction notice issued to herders residing in Ondo State forest reserves by Governor Akeredolu.

While issuing the eviction order last month, Akeredolu had made it clear that it was in a bid to sanitise Ondo forests of killer herdsmen accused of sundry crimes such as kidnappings, killings, rape, amongst others.

He, however, added those involved in legitimate businesses are free to register with the state government.

But reacting to the Akeredolu move yesterday, Mohammed who had earlier condemned his counterpart’s decision, restated that the Ondo State governor’s position was unconstitutional.

He 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,  too, did not waste time in replying the Bauchi State governor in another statement from his aide.

The statement partly read, “The position of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, is not 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 to 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.”