APC Leaders Misleading Hausa/Fulani Muslims in Sarduana – Abubakar Bawa
Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters Alhaji Abubakar Bawa has given reasons why the Hausa/Fulani Muslims Community from Sarduana Local Government Area recently paid a courtesy visit to the Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku, urging members of the All Progressive Congress APC from the area to facilitate a similar visit to President Muhammadu Buhari if truly the party cares more for Hausa/Fulani Muslims in the area.
Speaking in an interview with Taraba Truth and Facts reporter in Jalingo, Bawa said some APC leaders from the area are misleading the Hausa/Fulani Muslims Community in Sarduana for selfish and political reasons.
His words: "the Hausa Fulani community on the Mambilla Plateau have been wanting to visit the Governor for a long time now but could not get his audience until now. It was not that they just made the move, they have been trying to have a meeting with him but as you can understand how tight the governor's schedule can be, so that was what delayed it.
"You see we the Hausa Fulani on Mambilla Plateau, we want to coexist peacefully with our brothers from other tribe in the area. But it is important to state here that the misconception has been that the Hausa Fulani do not want or like this government, but that is false. Some of our people are being misled and given false information that the APC is for Muslim while PDP is for Christian. But, fortunately, they have come to understand that it is not like that."
Bawa added that the state government has done more for Hausa/Fulani Muslims Community in Sarduana despite their political posture.
"Immediately after the crisis, the Governor assisted them with over N300,000,000 and send a delegation to Cameroon to go meet with their stakeholders and give them relieve materials and all other things they requested for from the government. So, with all this effort and support from the state government, we realized that it is pertinent for us come out and appreciate the Governor and his administration for founding us worthy and because of their long held believe that the APC is the party who cares about them alone but it was clear to them after the crisis as they APC was not forthcoming in anyways," Bawa said.
He also faulted claims of some APC leaders in the area that the state government abandoned some of its citizen in Cameroon, noting that the APC leaders did not visited the people while they were displaced in Cameroon and does not even know where the people are currently.
"Some of our people who used to mislead them would tell them that look, why is it that when your people are killed the PDP government did not do anything or arrest the culprit? But they forgot that the police, DSS are under control of Federal Government and not the State Government and if they want people arrested, their supposed beloved APC being the party at the central should have helped them out and bring the perpetrators to book and leave PDP out of the matter because PDP is an opposition at the central without federal might.
"So, our people have come to realized that the state government is not against them after they saw the assistance which were given to them and such warrants them to understand and come out to appreciate the governor's gesture. So, that is the issue and contrary to reports, the meeting was not about politics, PDP or APC.
He said the visit cut across party lines, urging the APC leaders to arrange a similar visit with President Buhari if they truly love the Hausa/Fulani Muslims Community.
"It was just Hausa Fulani visit. It was not a matter of party, those in the delegations included people from different political parties but some of our people who does not understand what is happening or why our people visited the governor were just misinterpreting the whole thing that it was PDP that sponsored the visit and I can confirm to you that nobody sponsored anybody, all the people came on their own after they all agreed in a meeting held in Gembu that they would paid the governor a visit in appreciating his effort.
"So, contrary to rumors and report, nobody paid the delegation to visit the Governor. But you see people who always want our people to be divided always prey on all steps in their divisive tendencies just to keep themselves relevant. In fact, after the meeting, there were rumor that APC members in the delegation would be sanctioned just so you can understand the prism in which they think from but they forgot that the government is for everyone and it would work for both PDP and APC. So, if you visit the governor to ask for anything, it is not a crime?
So, for those who are saying why should our people visit the governor and all that, please, I challenge them to take the people to go and see Buhari and ask him for anything they want so Buhari can do it for them because such move would make me happy and I won't even ask why would they have to visit the President."
No comments