Spareparts comment: Abaribe tackles Malami, says his mindset dangerous to national unity

Senate Minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe has expressed disappointment at the name calling by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, saying his mindset is dangerous to the unity of the country.

Abaribe’s reaction was in response to the Attorney-General’s views on Channels Television on Wednesday where he declared the Southern governors’ ban on open grazing unconstitutional.

He said banning the movement of cows was like banning the trading of spareparts by Southerners in the Northern parts of the country, which he said was impossible.

In a swift response in a statement which was signed by the Media Adviser to the Minority leader, Uche Awom, the lawmaker pointed out that the business of bureau de change is controlled by some Fulani people throughout the federation without resentment from Nigerians.

He wondered how the Attorney-General would want Nigerians to sit back watching the murderous Fulani herders who have created tension throughout the country.

He said: “While the local “bureau de change” business mostly done by the Fulanis are operating in all parts of Nigeria, why have they not elicited any resentment of other Nigerians?

“It is simply because they live and do their business peacefully without any problem. It is the murderous activities of Fulani herders that have given rise to the current demand for laws that will bring about peaceful coexistence of all Nigerians.

“What’s the correlation between spare parts sellers in a rented shop or government properly designated area and marauding Fulani herders destroying farms, killing and raping thus trampling on people’s private properties and means of livelihood? Such a divisive statement from a top federal government official, infact the Chief legal adviser to the federal government at that, exposes a very dangerous mindset . This disposition has no doubt raised the tension in Nigeria to a frightening level.

“Why should an Attorney general of the federation be so fixated in evoking ethnic/regional fault lines when duty calls for him to be a statesman. It is disheartening that Mr Abubakar Malami has chosen to debase our country. He has indeed questioned Nigeria’s unity. Very unfortunate”, Senator Abaribe said when asked his views on what Malami said.