A word for the Northern minorities: We are with you! - FFK | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Saturday 10 September 2016

A word for the Northern minorities: We are with you! - FFK

Being a speech delivered to the Christian Information Network Forum by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Jos, 10th September 2016)
Blessed be the name of the Most High God, the God whose I am and the God whom I serve, blessed be His holy name forever.
Mr. Chairman,  our Royal fathers, my Lords spiritual and temporal, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, all protocols observed.
Let me begin by thanking you for your invitation and for all your love. It is indeed a privilage and an honor for me to be here today and I am deeply humbled and touched.

I crave your indulgence to permit me to share a few things with you before I get to the main thrust of my speech in an attempt to explain precisely what my links with the northern minorities are and to show you why I can never leave you.

My home is in the north. I have lived here for the last 14 years of my life.

I know the history of the north, and indeed the history of every part of Nigeria, very well.

This is because I made a point of studying and researching that history over the last 35 years.

That is why I know and understand the mindset of, for example, the Fulani so well.

I know that they are not indigenous Nigerians like you and I but rather strangers and aliens that, approximately 211 years ago, came from a distant and desolate land called the Vulture Mountains in Futa Jalon, which is in modern-day Guniea.

It is because I know and say these things that some of them hate me so much and will do anything to stop, silence, discredit, destroy or even kill me.

Yet I know that I cannot die before my time or before work on earth is done and neither can I be destroyed because I am covered by the blood of Jesus.

Despite their obvious malice and evil intentions for me I do not hate them because we are compatriots. Hate is a corrosive and self-destructive quality: it wounds and ultimately destroys the hater far sooner and in a much more profound way than it does the object of his hate. I therefore choose to return their hatred with love.

It is not the Fulani that I hate but rather what they are doing to our people in Nigeria today and indeed what they have been doing to us over the last 211 years since they arrived in this country.

In any case we are all Nigerians, even though some of us came to these shores much sooner than others.

We must endeavour to live in love and peace with one another, including  the Fulani, and that has always been my position.


Permit me to make a confession to you today: I actually have Fulani blood running through my veins because my great grandmother was a pure Fulani woman from Sokoto.

She married my maternal great grandfather, who was a Yoruba Muslim from Ilesha, and she moved to the southwest with him. How can I then hate myself?

I may not have much Fulani blood in me but I am very proud of the little that I have and I would be the last to deny it. I am even prouder of my Yoruba bloodlines and heritage which are Ile-Ife, Ijesha, Egba and Isale Eko.

The way the average Fulani man feels about his Muslim faith is the way I feel about my Christian one.

I have no apology for that. Just as he fears ethnic and religious domination and he rejects subjugation, intimidation and marginalisation, sometimes with aggression and passion, is the same way that I do.

That is why I can boldly say that I consider it a solemn duty to point out the consistent excesses of the Fulani in Nigeria and particularly their ill-treatment of the northern minority groups over the years.

My history and link with the northern minorities did not begin with me. It started a generation before me.

I say this because my late father of blessed memory, the Balogun of Ife and the former Deputy Premier of the old Western Region of Nigeria, Chief Remilekun Adetokunboh Fani-Kayode QC, SAN, CON had a unique, deep and profound relationship with the northern minorities throughout his long and distinguished political and legal career.

For example he represented them and spoke for them under the banner of the Action Group at the famous Willicks Commission in 1957 when they were agitating for the creation of a Middle Belt region which was to be carved out of the old Northern Region.

It was my father, as lead counsel, that argued the case for the northern minorities at the public hearing.

Sadly the British authorities refused to grant it as a result of strong pressure from the Fulani ruling class and traditional rulers and their political allies in the old Northern Peoples Congress.

Yet ever since that time my family ties and passion for the horrendous plight of the people of the Middle Belt has been very strong.

This was why my father forged such a strong bond and deep relationship with the late Governor Aper Aku of Benue state in the Second Republic and indeed represented him in court on numerous occassions, pro bono, when his gubernatorial mandate was challenged.

My second link with the northern minorities is of a more personal nature and it is as follows.  Madame Saratu 'Baby' Atta, who is the mother of my first child Folake, is the daughter of the late Alhaji Adamu Atta, the former Governor of the old Kwara state, who was a distinguished elder-statesman and proud Ebira man.

The Attas are indeed the royal family of the Ebira people of the Middle Belt and it is an honor for me to be associated with them in this way.

My third link with the northern minorities is the fact that the principal of the Action Faith Bible Seminary in Accra, Ghana, where I studied for my degree in theology 23 years ago, was a distinguished and well-respected northern Christian from Kaduna state by the name of Pastor Abubakar Bako.

Bako, who was a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University in the 1980's, was compelled to flee from Nigeria to Ghana (where he lives till today) when the Muslim fundamentalists tried to kill him and his entire family for daring to share the word of God and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ on campus.

They accused him of blasphemy, attacked him and left him for dead. Thankfully he survived the attack and he lived to continue to do God's work.

He is a deeply courageous man who has suffered many tribulations and made great sacrifices over the years for the Body of Christ and the Christian faith and he is undoubtedly one of God's "end-time generals".

He is also a great Prophet, an extraordinary teacher and a living legend in Pentecostal and Evangelical circles.

He was my mentor when it came to the things of God and, like Paul did with Gamaliel, I learnt the scriptures at his feet.

I lived in his house in Accra for two years whilst I studied at the Bible seminary where he was Principal and he taught me much of what I know about the Living God.

My fourth link with the northern miniroties is rooted in the ugly and sad events surrounding the first coup d'etat that ever took place in our country during the First Republic.

It was a northern minorities officer (from present-day Taraba state) by the name of Captain Takoda, under the command and instruction of another northern minorities officer (from present-day Plateau state) by the name of Lt. Col. Yakubu Jack Gowon, that saved my fathers life during the bloody mutiny and military coup of Jan. 15th 1966.


It was also a northern minorities officer (from present-day Kogi state) by the name of Lt. Col. Dixon, who was the Airport Commandant at Lagos Airport in Ikeja in 1967, that smuggled my father on the plane and safely out of the country into self-imposed exile in the UK, after orders were issued to "shoot him on sight" by the Military Governor of the old Western Region,  Lt  Col. Adeyinka Adebayo.

In view of all of the foregoing it is clear that I owe the northen minorities so much and I love them as much as I love the south where I come from.

I also identify strongly with their suffering and I appreciate the barbarity and injustice of the ruthless persecution that they have been subjected to from those that have kept them in bondage and subjugation for over 200 years.

As a matter of fact I regard myself as being as much of a northern Christian as anyone else in this forum and when one of our own is killed by the islamists and terrorists in our country it hurts and pains me to the very marrow.

These are my people that are being slaughtered as much as they are yours.

If Nigeria were ever to break up we will ensure that the northern minorities and the Middle Belt come with the south.

We will never leave you in the hands of our collective enemies and we will never abandon you.

When Nigeria is either redefined or restructured: that is when your true liberation begins.

When it comes to suffering injustice, marginalisation, mass murder, ethnic cleansing and genocide you have suffered more than any other.


It is only the Igbo people of the south-east that have been subjected to the kind of wickedness that your people have been subjected to by the Nigerian state and those that have controlled it since independence.

The only difference is that they literally took your identities away from you whilst they couldn't do that to the Igbo who, till today, are still fighting hard for self-determination.

It is our intention to right the wrongs of the past and to help to liberate you. It is our intention to encourage and support you in your quest for emancipation and freedom in this historic fight.

My links with the northern minorities are deep, spiritual and unbreakable. As I said earlier, it did not begin with me but with my father.

My family owe you everything because your leaders and forefathers saved my fathers life on at least two occassions.

My links with you cannot be broken by any force on earth and I will always stand for you and defend you as much as I will stand for and defend  the rights of the oppressed and marginalised people of the south.



We are together in our struggles and we must never forget that or allow our collective adversaries to divide us.

It is self-evident that the Christians of the north need our help and support and more importantly they deserve it.

They deserve to be treated with dignity, respect and decorum by all, including their northern Muslim brothers.

They deserve to he able to live in peace anywhere in the north and to be able to buy land and build their churches and schools where they please.

They do not deserve to be treated with contempt and disdain and to be referred to as "arne" or "infidels and unbelievers" at every point in time. This is all the more so because they are the true believers and the sons and daughters of the Living God.

They must no longer be subjected to persecution, discrimination, ethnic cleansing, genocide and mass murder by those that wish to wipe out their faith and subject them to bondage, servitude and slavery in perpetuity.

The people of the south particularly have a duty to step up to the plate and reach out to them in love and with compassion.

There can be no gainsaying the fact that when we go out of our way as a people to care for the weakest, the most vulnerable, the most deprived, the most abused, the most traumatised, the most villified, the most cheated, the most ridiculed, the most persecuted, the most misunderstood and the supposedly most "undeserving" in our society it says a lot about us.

When we kill them like flies and treat them with  contempt, hate and insensitivity or like animals it means that we are no better than beasts ourselves.

No matter how you may feel about an individual or an entire race of people and no matter what challenges they may be passing through, we must show them love and treat them with the compassion and kindness that they deserve. That is God's law and that is what distinguishes us from animals and makes us human beings.

Permit me to share the profound and prophetic words of Mrs. Love Zidon who is one of the members of this distinguished forum. She said,

"We have decided to raise our heads up high in this country to walk as Christians. The law of retribution shall be activated on anyone that touches God's own".

What a lady! She is indeed a true Daughter of Zion and she is absolutely right.
 God shall punish and destroy those that seek to kill our people and torment our lives.

Yet together we shall prevail and God will shame our collective enemies, bring them to their knees and strip them bare.

Finally please bear the following in mind. If you remember nothing else that I have said here today at least rememember this: that we, the oppressed, despised and marginalised people of Nigeria who our internal colonial masters regard as being nothing more than chattel and slaves, are with you and we feel and share your pain.

We are bound together by the precious blood of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ and therefore we feel and share your suffering. We feel and share your shame.

We feel and share your consistent humiliation and persecution. Yet no matter how dark the night, joy comes in the morning.

No matter how bad things get, always hold your heads up high, never bow before them, never show them fear, never let them break you and always remember that our God is mighty and that it shall be well.

No mattter what violence they inflict upon you, no matter what indignities they subject you and yours to and no matter who or what they take away from you never forget that on Christ the solid rock we stand, all other ground is sinking sand: all other ground is sinking.

Never forget that He who created the universe and holds it together by the power of His word and that He that is known as the Alpha and the Omega, the Ancient of Days, the Lord God of Hosts, the Elohim, the Adonai and the King of King is with you.


He has made us the head and not the tail. He has removed our rags, placed a crown on our heads and dressed us in purple and gold.

We are Kings and Queens and warriors of the faith. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

We are a Royal priesthood, a holy nation and, at the appointed time, we shall have the fat of the land, we shall rule over the Amalekites and the uncircumcised Phillistines and we shall prevail.

God bless you all. God bless this forum and be rest assured that I shall never leave you.

Shalom.

66 comments:

Unknown said...

Issokay seen

NaijaDeltaBabe said...

It is well


...merited happiness

Unknown said...

Divided country by politicans

Unknown said...

Speak up heavenly son.
FFK may u live longer than apc and their supporters.
MY SYMPATHY GOES TO NORTHERN CHRISTIANS BECAUSE THEY ARE PASSING THROUGH WHAT IBOS AND NIGER DELTA and passing in the hand of terrorist buhari.
FREEBORN DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY NOW.



















#sad indeed

Unknown said...

hmm
-D great anonymous now as Vivian Reginalds

Anonymous said...

As much as I like your writing style and use of words, your content are usually far from sensible. Your writings are divisive and as a "supposed" statesman you ought to write to influence "coersion" not division. You have a deep rooted hatred for Islam, Fulanis and Hausas not necessarily in the same order. I wish you well.

Unknown said...

Omg..... Like I always say.. FFk is an angel... I can't believe I read this article from a-z..... What a heavenly man is ffk pls..... God will continue to strengthen u sir.. U ar such a blessing to this generation...... God bless Nigeria... Shalom












............. Liber maniac.........

Unknown said...

Biko move over mbok. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

Too long a letter!

chosengospel said...

Too long, I can't read, but the Fulanis have turned to beasts since their Buhari took over. Let's see where they're headed, Since they kill with impunity now.

Apologist Azolike Nonso Afamefuna said...

I kept telling people through a group platform I founded on Facebook with a sizable membership of 29,000 Facebookers called Nigeria Election Debate, that all Northerners are not Gambarians. A core northern Gambarian is an Islanmist Fulani muslim with a chequered Muhammadic conquest for political dominance. That is why Buhari represents the face of a terrorist because he instructively believe in the Born-to-rule mentalist ideas and seek to abdicate a democratic Christian President through anarchism and propaganda

HRM Paul ojeih said...

Fani kayode has so much profound knowledge about this country on a good day him head correct.His write up is on point dude is making sense

Unknown said...

Too long a letter....

Joyous babe,Linda ikeji first cousin said...

Too long biko, I will come back to read comments.

Unknown said...

Okk seen

Anonymous said...

Rubbish!! As a middle belter let me clearly tell you we don't need your support or share your doomsday looney views and we do not want to partake in your drive to incite this people against this Government and our brothers from the North. After you and your cronies have siphoned government money under the guise of campaigning, you are looking for canon fodder to serve your silly myopic agenda. I beg take seat and if you feel so strongly about your agenda go fight the government yourself rather than using Ibos, Niger Delta or Middle belters

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sympathising with the christitans in the North. The only thing I believe is impossible is our leaving our God given land, we have no plans to vacate our heritage. The solution is for us to Unite as christians now and fight for our rights, to protect each other, to love our neighbours, to tell the world of this injustice, to go to the International Criminal court with petitions, use the media the world over so that we tell our truth and our leaders are forced to act. I am not for violence but if you come to attack me as a Plateau woman I will do whatever it takes to protect my family. The solution is unity of Christians. Let's truly be our brothers keeper. Let our Christian law makers use wisdom. Let's be tolerant but at the same time not fools.

Anonymous said...

WORD!

anonymous said...

FFK,please you and governor Fayose have to be on ground in Edo state on election day so that there would be no FRAUD as being planned by the APC led govt of Oshiomhole and his father, Buhari. Oshiomhole came to power by fighting against electoral corruption and now he is the one perpetuating it. What a SHAME.

BIG DADDY KENG said...

FFK, indeed you are blessed.

BIG DADDY KENG said...

FFK, indeed you are blessed. Shalom!!

Daboski said...

A great speech by a great man at a time like this.

WizzyEsq said...

We are God's own.FFK keep to the truth brother.we heart u

WizzyEsq said...

We are God's own.FFK keep to the truth brother.we heart u

Unknown said...

So this man 👨 is Fulani half cast. We will know where the other half came from

Anonymous said...

More blessinghttp://Fans2Earn.com/?ref=51441

FRESH said...

This guy is arming the bomb that will blow this country to smithereens. I am surprised no one is interrogating him presently. Only fools will give this mad man a mind.

Anonymous said...

Good one ffk. I married a northern Christian though I'm from the south. Until now I thought the northerners are one but that's not to be the Muslims hate the Christians

IBOLORD said...

Jeremiah 1:14

Hotmetal said...

Thanks FFK the Ibibio nation salute your courage.

Unknown said...

God bless you sir

Unknown said...

Ffk. Using devicive way to incite people against the govt.look at it this the present. Secretary to the govt is a northern minority and christian,the chief of army staff tukur buratai,security adviser munguno,Efcc chairman. Are all northern minority. But peeps on this forum are lazy can't make research rather they will wait and be fed by falsehood,by the enemies of the land who have. Looted the nation. Blind and don't want to be exposed.

Unknown said...

A 'wordsmith' worth reading, worth sharing.

Unknown said...

While I agree that FFK has at times in the past sounded sycophantic, I must point out that all he's stated above and in his recent write-ups have been truths. And I believe being brave enough to say this things is what makes him a statesman and indeed a patriot... #udo

Unknown said...

My question
What was fani kayode s contribution to christianity during his tenure as federal minister?

Anonymous said...

Thanks ooo! Ask him

Anonymous said...

LITTLE WONDER BUHARI IS HELLBENT IN SILENCING HIM. GOD FORBID! JUST IMAGINE, SHOULD FFK AND GOV. FAYOSE STOP TALKING, IT THEN MEANS THAT WE ARE DOOMED! COWARDS DYE 10 TIMES BEFORE THEIR ACTUAL DEATHS. GOD BLESS YOU, FFK

#Chinemerem said...

U call urslf fresh uve not seen anytin yet, seem u hate truth and u call FFK a mad man all ur life u wil always be faced with madness u wil kno no peace every were u go u wil met mad Men u wi alwys be denyed of ur right ur kind of person wil end up no were u all wil eat with mad Men, seems the innocent blood that are been gone down is madness to u such tin wil always come ur way. I pity u it is ur kind that keps this coutry in state evil men

Unknown said...

Nice and insightful writeup.The truth must be told no matter how bitter it is percieved to be.Let all respect each others religion and right to life, then we would be talking about one Nigeria.FFK, thanks again for the info therein.

I.B Ositenime said...

Wow, how did I read till the end, God bless Nigeri. I llike ur courage ffk.

Anonymous said...

FFk!! FFK FFK hw many times did I call u? For d love of God nd peace to reign stop all dis u stupid nd decitful writs up coz it's taking u no where!

Anonymous said...

Whether you call them northern minorities or northern Christians,it is one and the samething. They belong to north. How could Fani Kayode so quick to forget that this was the same ethnic and religious cards played in 2011. Eventually,they realised the deceit and therefore decided to retrace their steps.in 2015, the chickens come home to roost. In case,one doubts it,when next he meets a northern minority or Christian ask him the origin of his ethnic nationality.No doubt,it is either from Kwararafa Empire or North-East migrations. These were all located in the North. Virtually, it is impossible for any northern minority to fit in elsewhere other than the north culturally.

tsabig said...

Very articulateb peice, as a Christian northern i appreciate the complexity this represents but its hard to trust you ...historical links or not

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your support to the middle belt
I always feel bad when people say we are the same with Hausa Fulani

Anonymous said...

God bless u FFK

Anonymous said...

Thank u for feeling the pain of the northern Christian minority

Anonymous said...

I agree with you anony. He is so eager to create ethnic and religious divisions amongst Nigerians just to cover his corrupt ass.

Oskirin said...

Tnx bro.wht Ws his contribution to Christians whn he Ws in govt? Pls continue to play d divide.na mumu like freeborn,stern n co go listen to u.ask urcef ds.if buhari hate christians as u always painted,y will he bring David babachir lawal a northern minority,who es once a muslim to be his secretary? Kip on ponderin on ds till Jesus cums n forget u.

Unknown said...

His father defended northern minorities as a member of Action Group but became deputy premier by joining forces with Ladoke Akintola in the Democratic Party in alliance with the NPC, the party of the same people he accused of oppressing northern minorities. His father was in a government that created problems in the West leading to avoidable deaths and imprisonment of political leaders in the West. The crisis eventually lead to the coup that almost consumed his father. When you sow wind what are you expecting to harvest.

Unknown said...

Wow wonderful spesch what a time to be alive!!God bless FFK.

Anonymous said...

You are indeed a distinguished gentleman.i have always taken time to read your write-up anytime nature presents me that opportunity and they have all been sensible.you highly appreciated for sharing your knowledge and perceptions

FrankTalk said...

All what FFK has said is the truth about the north but people like bashir danlami will never want to hear such as it exposes their wicked acts and see them as divisive words...
What has the present Govt done to evil boko haram members, fulani herdsmen, religious bigots who kill in the name of blasphemy?...nothing because they are pre- arranged foot soldiers used to perpetrate their evil plans

Unknown said...

I beg let's hold some of the money you made while in government, then we can believe 100% that you're with us.

Unknown said...

Restructure Nigeria now!

Unknown said...

When he and GEJ were busy looting the treasury, he didn't feel the plight of Northern minority, we he was enjoying the spoils of mismanagement with the so called Fulanis in PDP, he didn't feel the plight of Northern minority but now that he is no longer in govt he feels their plight. The level of the stupidity of most Nigerians youths who continue to support divisive element like FFK baffles me. This is a man who criticized Obj and he was made an Adviser and later a Minister and today Obj is his father. He later moved to APC and criticized GEJ calling him all sorts of names and he was made a presidential campaign spokesman and today GEJ is his brother but unfortunately for him Buhari will never give him any post cos he is nothing but a spoilt, corrupt,immature and manner less brat who only fights when things don't go his way!Smh

WizzyEsq said...

Idiat fool

deenity sealord said...

Mnnn Ffk is jus so intelligent bt cud b annoying @ times

edwin said...

Sir, well spoken you are very great whether we like it or not.

Anonymous said...

You too talk

Anonymous said...

I am confused about the recent write ups from the stable of FFK.I don't know whether it is from God or Satan.l don't know whether it is the voice of Jacob but the hands of Essu.Could he be a repented Saul? He has in recent times been dishing out necessary information. For now l am soaking up the information. Time will tell whether he is sent by God or an agent of devil.

Anonymous said...

You are mad. Who the hell is FFK and Fayose to come to Edo State to monitor elections? Are they from Edo State? Why is PDP so afraid and desperate? God will let the best person win whether they rig or not in Jesus Name. So take a chill pill

Anonymous said...

FFK i am a christian but please stop trying or instigating people to divide this country through christianity or tribal conflicts. Christianity is a peaceful religion. Preach peace instead of violence and hate messages

Anonymous said...

FFK as a christian, please stop causing division in this country. Instead, try to bring people together by preaching love because Jesus is love. The fact that they kill christians doesnt mean we should hate them. Instead, let's pray for them to change their wicked ways. As true christians, we cannot behave thesame way they behave. God can use your behaviour and attitude to humble them and make them change their wicked ways but you are not portraying the right attitude here if you ask me. A word is enough for the wise! Cheers!

Anonymous said...

I suppose you mean "cohesion" as opposed to "coercion"

Anonymous said...

Gbam!!! Well said. FFK is a hypocrite

ST.TURNER said...

Empirical truth,but he is not hypocrite.note one thing is clear,every statment made by FFK is the truth balance truth

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