By Onwukwe Ezeru, Abia
Farmers and Fulani herdsmen in Abia State have signed a peace accord to ensure that peace reigns between the group in the state.
This is coming on the heels of the inauguration of the state committee on herdsmen and farmers conflict committee by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
Speaking during the inaugural meeting of the committee with leaders of Hausa/Fulani community, traditional rulers, town unions, women and youth groups, the chairman of the committee and Abia State Commissioner of Police, Adeleye Oyebade, said that the meeting became necessary because “the unity of this country is paramount and not negotiable.”
He said that the Abia State government set up the committee to avoid the kind of violent clashes herdsmen have been having in neighbouring states and called on all parties to proffer solution that would lead to peaceful coexistence.
The commissioner added that the committee has designed short, medium and long term resolution and urged the traditional rulers to carry their people along in negotiating with herdsmen.
He reminded all the parties that the constitution of Nigeria provides for peaceful coexistence and freedom of movement, pointing out that that “just as the herdsmen have the right to migrate to any part of the country the law does not allow the destruction of another’s property/farm. The same way communities should not kill the cows in reprisal but should take the proper channel of conflict resolution, including dialogue and reporting to the security agencies.
Oyebade charged the Divisional Police Officer in the affected local government areas to replicate the state committee with heads of security agencies
“The issue of destroying of farms crops, killing of cows and poisoning of water which in most cases breed trouble is what we are trying to find a lasting solution to with the aim of avoiding unnecessary conflicts now or in the future”.
In his remark, Governor Ikpeazu, represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief Ukpai Agwu Ukpai, said that the committee was set up to avoid any crisis between the farmers and herdsmen with the CP as the chairman because of his track record and urged the parties to cooperate with the committee.
Also the state Director of DSS, Korede Kamoju, the Adviser on Security, Capt. Awa Udensi (retd), chairman of farmers association in the state, Dunlop Okoro, said that there have always been peace among the farmers and the herdsmen until they started carrying arms and grazing in farms instead of along the roads and uncultivated lands and urged the traditional rulers not to compromise.
In his contribution the member representing Arochukwu state constituency at the House of Assembly, Luke Ukara Onyeani said that there is a law known as stray animal law which should be put in use to avoid conflicts and urged the committee to carry the legislators along.
The chairman of the state traditional rulers council Eze Eberechi Dick who spoke on behalf of traditional rulers assured that the monarchs would work in line with the committees mandate to ensure peace in the communities with herdsmen.
Leader of the Hausa group in the state, Alhaji Yaro Danladi, condemned the recent development between farmers and herdsmen in the state and called for a peaceful
resolution at all times to avoid bloodshed. He promised to have a meeting with herdsmen with a view to finding lasting solution.
Also the leader of Maiyatiala group, Hassan Buba, said that herdsmen do not cause trouble, stressing that whenever there is trouble that such should be reported to their leader to enable him handle it instead of taking laws into their hands. He said that no right thinking herdsman would cause problem in a community where he stays.
He said, “The herdsmen have their leader, trouble starts when they are not understood, if cows destroy farms the incident should be reported to their leader for proper handling instead of resorting to retaliation which in most cases lead to crisis”.