An association of pastoralists, the Kulen Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, has criticised the proposed herders/livestock census in the country.
The association, in a statement on Monday by its National President, Khalil Mohammed, said the proposed census agreed to by another group, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, was in bad light.
Mohammed alleged that the MACBAN leadership initiated the herders/livestock census during a meeting with some southern governors in Akure, Ondo State.
He stated, “Though we are not objecting to people’s freedom of speech/expression of their opinions in all matters of national interest as stipulated in our well cherished constitution and in the United Nation Charter of 1945, but as one of Nigeria’s pastoralist stakeholders, who are keenly interested in anything related to the nation’s pastoral occupation, we strongly oppose and reject in totality anything to do with isolationism or exclusive counting of any tribe in Nigeria through the herders/livestock census as opined by one of our sister association.
“Our condemnation and strong objection to the said whimsical or myopic proposed counting has to do with the following tentative reasons: It is the first time in the history of Nigeria that a single tribe out of over 200 tribes initiates to be singly counted for a reason only known to itself; the herders will be cocooned and marooned in their fatherland by restricting their free movement in their struggle for survival in search of animal pasture and water points for their livestock.”
Mohammed lamented that the proposed census negated the nation’s constitution, which stated that no tribe name would be mentioned during conduct of any census.
He added that the counting and documentation of herders and their livestock at this time of serious unrest would make them to be seen as criminals in the eyes of other Nigerians.
Mohammed, while stating that the outcome of the census would be disputed by everyone, said, “Above all, according to Nigeria’s rigid constitution, it is only the National Population Commission that is responsible for carrying out population census and not an individual group.
“Likewise, it is only the Directorate of Animal Husbandry Services of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development that is responsible for conducting census or estimation of the country’s livestock.”
Nigerians have hailed the call by Kano State Governor, Abdullai Ganduje, for the Federal Government to ban the movement of cattle from the North to South, in order to end the frequent clashes between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers across the country and curb cattle rustling.
Governor Ganduje made the call when he and other governors elected on the platform of the ruling Alł Progressives Congress (APC) had a special lunch with President Muhammadu Buhari in his private residence, at the weekend, in Daura, Katsina state.
The Kano governor, who made the disclosure while addressing newsmen called on the federal government to enact a law banning the movement of cattle from the north to other parts of the country.
While responding to questions on how far he had gone with RUGA project in his state, Ganduje said: “We are building a RUGA settlement in Samsosua forest, our border with Katsina, and we have succeeded in curtailing the effect of banditry in that area. So, we are building many houses, we are constructing a dam, establishing a cattle artificial insemination centre, a veterinary clinic and, already, we have started building houses for herdsmen.
“My advocacy is that we should abolish the transportation or trekking of herdsmen from the northern part of Nigeria to the middle belt and to the southern part of Nigeria. There should be a law that will ban cattle movement, otherwise, we cannot control the conflicts between herdsmen and farmers and the cattle rustling which is affecting us greatly.”
Former presidential candidate, Dr Yunusa Tanko and Chairman of the Arewa Youth Consultative Assembly, Mallam Yerima Shettima, who spoke to Daily Sun hailed governor Ganduje’s suggestion as a welcome idea, stressing that the frequent clashes between the cattle herders and farmers not only portrays the North in a bad light, but also threatening the peaceful coexistence of the country.
They both called on cattle owners and their herders to embrace modern ranching as the best option of grazing their cattle.
Tanko said: “The idea of cattle straying into farms and destroying people’s crops is not acceptable, that has brought for us in the North wrongly or rightly, a level of unacceptable accolade from our brothers in the South. The North has enough land mass that can take care of the cattle if only we can build ranches and take care of the cattle. Most of the cattle are owned by the elite, not the herders you see on the road. If the elite have invested that much in the cattle business, they should be able to build ranches for their cattle.”
For Shettima, the continued movement of herders and destruction of farmlands and crops has continued to threaten the peace of the country.
“The fact of the matter is that we can’t continue over and over to gloss over the surface of an injury without addressing the source of the injury. If there is to be a solution, let us go back to modern ranches, the world is a global village, we can rear cattle without causing harm to anybody or encroaching into anybody’s territory and without these attacks and counter-attacks. I agree with governor Ganduje that such law should be passed, so that we put an end to the incessant farmers and herders clashes.”
Ganduje’s call vindicates our push for anti-open grazing law-ADF
For the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), the call by governor Ganduje has vindicated its persistent push for states in the South East to make laws on anti-open grazing of cattle.
ADF’s spokesman, Abia Onyike, yesterday, declared that continued open grazing of cattle is a recipe for crisis in Nigeria.
“The Federal Government should listen to governor Ganduje’s advice to reduce the growing tension generated by Fulani herdsmen in southern Nigeria. If the tension is not checked, a civil war may become inevitable in Nigeria,” ADF warned.
Herdsmen must respect laws of Southern states –Afenifere
Spokesman of Pan Yoruba Cultural Organisation, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said that cattle rearing is private business and any herder who wants to rear cattle in any southern state must obey the laws governing that state.
“If Ganduje thinks that not bringing cows to the South would unsettle us, he is making a mistake. They are not giving the cows free of charge, they are doing business and he should know that many people in the South are already raising cows. They should not think that because they are bringing their cows, they should be killing our people; we are beyond that,” Odumakin said.
They should buy land for ranches –Middle Belt Forum
In his own reaction, President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, said: “The statement that Ganduje made is neither here nor there, and when the policy of ranching, which we have been suggesting as the best practice of animal husbandry around the world, is implemented, the movement would not be there.
“When you find people armed in their numbers coming to sack communities, then after that, cattle rearers will come and occupy the land. So it goes beyond the narrative they have been deceiving us with. The killers have to be flushed out of the country.
“What the governor said is based on sentiments rather than solution. He is trying to divide the country by that statement. He is saying Fulani should be in the north; which part of the north?” Pogu asked.
Ganduje’s position confirms southeast govs betrayed their people-ASETU
Association of South East Town Unions (ASETU) said governor Ganduje’s call for nomadic herding was somewhat belated though commendable.
National President of ASETU, Chief Emeka Diwe, said that “It is a “good morning” at afternoon.”
“But the shame, however, is that the South East governors who we have severally written on this matter have remained adamant. What the Fulani herdsmen have done to our farmers in the bushes is second only to the genocide of the civil war. Yet our governors are silent. This is an act of betrayal!”
The Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria on Thursday urged the South-West governors to consider the creation of ranches before banning open grazing.
The group also said asking Fulani herdsmen to stop grazing their animal without providing alternative in ranches would be disastrous.
Addressing newsmen in Osogbo, the Vice President of the group, Sheikh Abdur’rasheed Hadiyatullahi, also said profiling all Fulani as criminals would be unfair to the decent ones among the tribe.
He said, “If you ban open grazing and you don’t create ranch, it is going to be disastrous. You can say animals should not be moving around and destroying crops, but give then ranches.
“Let them settle down and do their business. Ban open grazing and provide ranches. Akeredolu has not told Fulani herdsmen to leave. He only asked them to vacate forest reserve. But let the governors create ranch for the herders.”
On eviction of some Fulani herders from Igangan, Oyo state, Hadiyatullahi said, “To a find way out of these herdsmen, host community conflicts, we call for dialogue and wider consultation. The Igangan incident must be condemned by all lovers of peace. But at the same time, we cannot close our eyes to the pain and suffering of farmers and indigenes of the area who criminals see as soft targets for kidnapping, armed robbery.”
‘Cattle rearing’s private business’
Meanwhile, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Information, Mr Akin Omole, said on Thursday that those in the business of cattle rearing in the state were at liberty to create their cattle ranches.
Omole, who said cattle rearing was the private business of individuals, said, “If government wants to support farming, be it crop production or those in the field of animal production, the government will determine the way and manner it wants to go about it.
Some farmers in Obasooto community in the Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State on Thursday cried out over the alleged invasion of their farms by some herdsmen.
The incident happened three days after the national leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria agreed to the terms of the Ondo State Government to stop night grazing, open grazing ,as well as movement of cattle within cities and highways in the state.
The affected farmers said they arrived at their farms and saw the havoc wreaked on their farms by the herders during the night.
They lamented that millions of naira invested on the farms had gone in one night due to the attack of the herdsmen.
One of the farmers, Mr Friday Ayaghi, alleged that his cassava plantation were eaten up and destroyed by the cows of the herders.
Ayaghi lamented that feeding his family would become a challenge following the destruction of the farm. He said he planned to use the proceeds of the destroyed cassava to pay his children’s school fees.
Another victim, Pa Olatuja Idowu, said the herders allegedly destroyed his cassava, pineapples and cocoyam plantations which belonged to him and his wife.
The physically challenged octogenarian said, “The herdsmen first attacked my wife’s farm about 10 days ago and came back again to destroy my own farm and the rest of my wife’s farm.”
Another farmer in the village, Mrs Sarah Akingbesote, lamented that over 600 heaps of cocoyam were eaten up by the cows which were led into her farm by the herdsmen.
In a reaction, the Commander of Amotekun in the state, Adetunji Adeleye, who confirmed the incident said operatives of the corps had been deployed in the affected farms to ascertain the level of the destruction as well as quantify the damage done.
Adeleye also stated that the state chairman of MACBAN had been invited towards identifying and arresting the herders that perpetrated the act.
The state chairman of MACBAN Alhaji Garba Bello, said those herders that destroyed the farms would pay for whatever they destroyed.
Following the agreement reached by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and other stakeholders on vacation order issued to the herdsmen to leave the forest reserves in Ondo State, the government has said the herders have been moving out of the forest.
Rotimi Akeredolu
The governors and the MACBAN in the communique issued after their meeting on Monday agreed to support the Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’ s order on ban on night grazing, under-age grazing, movement of cattle along the highway and within the cities and herdsmen moving out of the forest reserves.
Speaking on the development on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo, said the herdsmen had been moving out of the forest reserves in compliance with the order of the governor.
He said the government was waiting for the herdsmen to register, adding that many herders had indicated interest in the exercise.
He said, “We have just started, I am sure they would come. The herders don’t have any alternative but to register and anyone who fails to register will not be allowed to operate in the state. The registration has to be total.”
Also speaking, the Ondo State Chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Garuba Bello, said the herders would begin to register any moment.
“My people are ready to register; let the government go to the forest and monitor how the herdsmen are obeying the order, “ Bello said.
MASSOB hails Akeredolu
Meanwhile, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra on Tuesday applauded Akeredolu on the steps taken to preserve the lives and property on Ondo State.
The pro-Biafra group in statement by its National Director Of Information, Comrade Edeson Samuel, said after their executive meeting, “MASSOB hails the Governor of Ondo state, His Excellency Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), on his eloquent and bold steps taken to preserve the lives and properties of his people.
“MASSOB urge the South-East governors to emulate Akeredolu in order to save our people, especially the Governor of Enugu State because Nkanu, Awgu, Aninri and Isi Uzo local government areas are occupied by the Fulani terrorist and criminals called herdsmen.”
Traditional worshipers seek inclusion
Additionally, the Ondo State Assembly of Traditional Religion Worshippers on Tuesday called on Akeredolu to involve them in the fight against the activities of the killer herdsmen in the state and the South-West.
The state Coordinator of the traditional worshipers, Chief Adewale Oso, who spoke with journalists in Akure, the state capital, said they had the spiritual support of the ancestors to collaborate with the government to chase out criminals in the state.
He said, “Our traditions have powers to expose evil doers around us. If some people are killing and hiding, when authorities do the right thing, in the traditional way, they would be exposed.”
