Fulani destined to continue leading Nigeria, says professor

Umar Labdo, a professor at the faculty of humanities, Maitama Sule University, Kano, says the Fulani are destined to lead Nigeria for a long time.

In an interview with PUNCH, Labdo said the Fulani brought literacy to the country.

According to him, the tribe had transcripts dating back to 500 years ago, at a time “when no other tribe knew how to write”.

He said: “Those who rule are those that are more civilised and educated. Now, Fulani happened to be more educated than all other tribes in Nigeria before the Europeans came.

“We are the ones who brought literacy here as we have manuscripts, hundreds of them, which were written between 300 and 500 years ago, when no other tribe knew how to write.

“And that is why the lot fell on our people to lead in this country and we are still leading the people. We are destined to continue leading people; but I know, if people read this, they will say he is a supremacist or something like that, no!

“It is not like that. This is a burden and we pay for it. Sardauna was killed because he was a ruler. If he had not been a ruler, why would he have been killed? Murtala Mohammed (former military head of state) was also killed. Why? It was because he was a ruler.”

He described Fulani’s “destiny” to lead as a “burden” on the tribe.

“It is not something we are proud of,” he said, adding: “It is a burden but we have to shoulder the burden because we are the ones who are qualified for it.”

Labdo said the federal government did not propose the idea of cattle colonies because President Muhammadu Buhari is Fulani.

He said this is because “any president of Nigeria has the obligation to help Fulani to settle down but not to use force.”

He, however, accused the Benue state government of trying to expel Fulani people through the law banning open grazing.

The professor added: “What is being done in Benue state is attempting to expel Fulani. Now, the Fulani in question are unsettled Fulani, not Fulani like me; I am a professor.

“But most of the unsettled Fulani are illiterates. So, if you want to change their way of life, which they have been following for centuries, you have to do it step by step.

“Instead, you enacted a law today, then armed a militia and asked it to enforce the law tomorrow. You are expelling these people; this is what is happening in Benue.”