Bauchi — Fulanis in Nigeria have been challenged to embrace western and Islamic education to make them a people with respect in the face of ethnic profiling.

The National President of Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Baba-Othman Ngelzarma said this while addressing members of the association in Bauchi during the election and inauguration of new leaders.

He was in Bauchi alongside other national officers to supervise the conduct of the state chapter election. He charged the newly elected state leaders to be united and focused on issues that bring them together rather than divide them.

According to him, "It is time for us to embrace education, enrol our children in schools so that they will get education and become our leaders in the future. Education is the key to development."

He regretted that Fulanis, especially cattle breeders have been given bad names in the country, saying that the only way out for them is to be well educated in order to defend the race.

The MACBAN national president stressed that due to modernization and development, the cattle routes and grazing forests have been taken over leaving the Fulani with little or no forest to graze his cattle.

He stressed that there is the need for government to intervene in the crisis and ensure that Fulani cattle breeders have access to grazing forests across the country in order to minimise the herders-farmers clashes.

To lead the association in Bauchi for the next four years is Mohammed Kabir who was unanimously elected as the chairman, while 21 others were elected to support him from across the 20 LGAs of the state.

In his post-election speech, Kabir thanked the members for the confidence reposted in him and others elected assuring them that they will offer a purposeful leadership.

He stressed the need for unity among the MACBAN members in the state so that the set objectives of the association will be achieved just as he called for constructive criticisms and positive advice.

Kabir promised that his leadership will engage all relevant stakeholders in the state to curb ethnic profiling against the Fulanis, saying that education of the children will be the main priority of his leadership.