Famodun consoles Pa Fasoranti over daughter's murder, opposes RUGA

State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Prince Gboyega Famodun, has condemned the recent gruesome murder of  Mrs Funmi Olakunrin, a daughter of Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, close to Ore-Ijebu-Ode tollgate by bandits suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

The state party chairman helmsman in a statement by his Media Consultant, Mr Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo on Tuesday, said, the killing of the woman was the highest peak of inhumanity of man against his fellow men.

He said, the killing which was a flagrant act of impunity was pungent manifestation of exhibition of wickedness, tasking the totality of law enforcement agents nationwide to brace up with a view to bringing an end to such inhuman act.

Famodun who consoled Pa Fasoranti over the loss of her daughter in such a brutal manner said it's only God that could condole him.

The state party chairman who also condoled the Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and the family of the deceased, prayed to God Almighty to give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Famodun also used the forum to correct a statement credited to him in his interview on *RAVE Fm* yesterday, that he was canvassing establishment of RUGA said, it was the imagination of those peddling such fabrication.

He disclosed that there was no iota of truth in the statement, adding that he was only quoted out of context for the ulterior motives known to the manufacturer of the said fallacious statement.

According to him, what he said was that: "There is no reason we won't co-exist in this country. The laws of the country allows free movement of people. The same Fulani people have been living with us for ages without hitches.

"I learnt from a very senior lawyer that the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been encouraging ranching right from the colonial days to the First Republic.

"Those who are mistaking ranching for RUGA herdsmen settlement policy are only being mischievous. What I said that was twisted by the agents of the devil is that the government should encourage ranching as it's being operated in the advanced countries of the world.

"You can't go to the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and other developed nations and find cattle grazing freely on their streets as they have ranches", he explained.

The APC party leader also stated that the belief in some quarters that cattle rearing is a customary and exclusive business of the Fulanis should be perished, adding that "if ranching is encouraged by the government, it can be a veritable source of engagement for our youths.

"It is advisable for our youths to also show interest in cattle ranching. Afterall, there's Obudu Cattle Ranch in Calabar; Mokwa Cattle Ranch while it is also on record that former Premier of the Western Region, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, also used to have a cattle ranch in the region", Famodun stated.

The Igbajo-born prince hinted that it was improper, uncivilized, misleading and indecorum for some agents of disunity to put words into his mouth for no other reason but sinister motive.

He disclosed that the kernel of his position on the issue at stake is that the government should encourage cattle ranching and not RUGA herdsmen settlement policy.