Miyetti Allah: My Benue intervention for peace, not politics — Onyema

Says Miyetti Allah didn’t claim responsibility for Benue
killings

The Chairman of Air Peace, Chief Onyema Allen, yesterday refuted
insinuations that he has a political ambition for his recent
intervention in the herdsmen-farmers’ crisis in Benue State.

The philanthropist, who recently airlifted many stranded
Nigerians from South Africa, noted that the action was driven by
love for peaceful coexistence in the country.

He denied reports that the National Secretary of Miyetti Allah
Kautal Hore, Alhaji Alhassan Saleh, apologised for the killings in
Benue during a peace meeting he organised.

The Air peace boss had on Saturday facilitated a meeting between
the Miyetti Allah and the Benue State Government.

Onyema explained that both Ortom and Hassan on behalf of Miyetti
Allah pledged to maintain peace in order to finally put to an end
the incessant killings in the state.

He said that it was at his instance that the reconciliation was
made, adding that he had to make it clear that while Miyetti Allah
pledged to ensure that the crisis between farmers and herdsmen in
the state is put to an end, Ortom on behalf of the state government
also pledged to do the same.

“The entire intention was for both parties to engage each other
harmoniously and peacefully towards amicable solutions to the
conflict. The reports that Miyetti Allah apologised for the
killings in Benue as if Saleh Alhassan admitted that they were
actually carried out by his group was unfair to the peace process
and both parties.

What he said is, ‘We are here because we want peace; we want to
be able to sit down like brothers and discuss amicably, ways of
ensuring peaceful co-existence between all ethnic nationalities. A
lot have been said.

We are not going to dwell in the past. Rightly or wrongly, if we
have offended anyone in this state, we are sorry and, if we have
felt offended by you, the Benue people, whether rightly or wrongly,
we have equally forgiven. Let us all chart a new beginning. Let us
all join hands together with the government and people of this
state to flush out the criminal elements in our mist, on all
sides”.

He pledged to work with the governor whom he described as a
peace-loving governor.

The Chairman of FEHN and Air Peace also made it clear that he
was not interested in politics and noted that what he is doing to
reconcile the country and bring peace is not motivated by possible
interest in politics, noting that he has been championing peace
since he was in secondary school because he believes in peaceful
existence of people, no matter the diversity, whether tribe or
religion.

Onyema who spearheaded peace in the Niger Delta during the
crisis, which led to the Amnesty Programme, said that he organised
the reconciliation between the herders and Benue people because he
believes that harmonious co-existence would end the crisis that has
rocked the state for years, adding that there was the need to make
a new commitment to entrench peace in the state.

He reiterated that he is not doing public good for pecuniary
gains like going into politics, insisting that he is a businessman
and he loves Nigeria so much that he would want peaceful
co-existence of people from the different parts of the country.

Onyema noted that Nigeria has the potential to be a great
country, adding that what it needs to achieve this is peace and
committed leadership.

He recalled that this was what motivated him to go to the Niger
Delta when militants had practically grounded the nation’s economy
to a halt and started peaceful reconciliation, which paid off and
gave rise to the Amnesty Programme.

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