By David Olalekan.
Nigerians have reacted to a designed image of a herder and his cattle on the country’s new passport, as many accuse the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari of championing a ‘Fulanisation agenda’ and condoning the activities of violent herdsmen.
According to former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, the Fulani herdsmen represent nothing other than cruelty, suffering, land-grabbing, church-burning, home-stealing, raping and pillaging, so dedicating a page of the Nigerian passport to them and pasting their picture on it was an insult to the Nigerian people.
FFK wrote on Twitter: “They represent nothing other than cruelty, suffering, land-grabbing, church-burning, home-stealing, raping and pillaging and they are instruments of occupation, domination and conquest.
“They have slaughtered more Nigerians over the last 4 years than Boko Haram have done in 10 and they have been designated as the 4th most deadly terrorist organisation in the world by the international community.
“To dedicate a page of the Nigerian passport to them and paste their picture on it represents the biggest and most gratutious insult to the Nigerian people that has ever been served.
“It is like dedicating a page of the Israeli passport to Adolf Hitler and the Nazis that slaughtered 6 million Jews.
“Such a gesture is heartless and unforgivable and it is unbecoming of even the Buhari regime. It is insensitive. It is callous. It is wicked. It is uncharitable. It is unkind and it is evil.
“To paste such people and their accursed cows on our international passport and compel Nigerians to carry them all over the world with us as part of our national identity, heritage and culture is unacceptable and too much to ask.
“We reject it in its entirety and we insist that the Buhari administration removes that accursed page forthwith and replace it with another symbol that truly represents the noble, enlightened, civilised and laudable nature and heritage of the Nigerian people.”
INSIDER compiled the reactions of other Nigerians on Twitter:
@oklahoma2013581
“This is the new Nigerian passport. Zoom on it and tell me what you see on it. We are sold already! This is the new passport that costs N70k officially (N105k unofficially) and they embossed a fulani cow herder with his cows on it !!! ????”
@dafemlions
“This RUGA metamorphosis is no joke o. See the new Nigerian passport with cows and herdsmen printed on it?”
@Iam_oyom
“Fulanization has started o.
Our new Nigerian passport has herdsmen and cows image on it.
Cattle rearing is the business of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
@JacksonAkoji1
“COWS & FULANIS are embedded on the pages of the new Nigerian Passport, yet some people are attacking OBJ on fulanisation agenda of @MBuhari”
@Casclement53
“Things are happening very fast in this second coming of PMB! In the new Nigerian passport, cows and Fulanis are now embedded.”
@Chichijethro
“Fake pastor Osinbajo and Muhammadu Buhari are sponsoring the deadliest terrorist called Fulani criminal murderers by putting their photo and cows photo in Nigerian passport.”
@Ogazirim1
“Fulanization is not a joke. Look closely at the visa pages of the new Nigerian passport and see for yourself.”
@Okpala_pat
“President Buhari showcased the new Nigerian Passport recently. Please Nigerians, check out the passport leaves. Fulanization and Islamization of Nigeria are being institutionalized. Change.”
@Esta_ice
“Fulani herdsmen killing people are being dignified and honored.”
@Gbengaadeoti
“New Nigerian passport has Herdsmen picture inscribed on it. My question is, WHY? Hope we can see that the agenda of the Presidency is clear, no one is talking about this.”