By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Muhammadu Buhari has doled out N24 billion for his ranching project in three states for Fulani herdsmen who murder natives and possess their land while he looks away even as the terrorists invade military formations to abduct and kill officers.
Fulani terrorists invaded Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) officers’ quarters on Tuesday, killed two and abducted one whom they took away.
The murderers are Buhari’s kinsmen. And that is why he is protecting them.
And they have become so emboldened because Buhari fails to deploy resources to arrest, prosecute, and jail them but rather pampers them to decimate with impunity villages and cities – killing with relish even women and children.
Presidential Media Assistant Garba Shehu told Channels Television that Ebonyi, Yobe, and Katsina States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have received N24 billion for ranching from the federal government.
But Ebonyi State Government, Dave Umahi, has denied Garba’s claim that the state collected any money for ranching.
Garba broke the news on Wednesday, a week after Buhari approved the review of 368 grazing routes across 25 states, as he presses on with placing cattle above human beings who are killed daily in the North by Islamist terrorists.
Buhari gives priority to the protection of cows without taking concrete action against Islamist jihadists who abduct school children, collect ransom for their freedom or torture and murder them and post the video on social media.
The television interview was monitored by The Nation which quoted Shehu as saying that the three states and the FCT each received N6 billion for ranching and other associated purposes.
Shehu, however, did not disclose when they got the fund, though he said Katsina was the latest to get it.
He said the applications of eight other states are being processed and they will get theirs soon and any other state that is interested and meets the requirement will get the same grant.
“Yes, Katsina has been given, but Katsina is not the only state that has been given. So far, about N24 billion has been disbursed to about four states for ranching and associated activities.
“Yobe has been given. Ebonyi has been given and [the] FCT has been given. More than eight other states are now being processed for this payment,” Shehu explained.
He said the programme is one of the ways Buhari intends to end farmers/herders clashes because Buhari is fair and just and wants the clashes to end like every other Nigerian.
The Nation says revelation that Ebonyi got the money will come as a surprise to many in the South East as Southern Governors say they have no land for ranching.
Buhari approves review of 368 grazing routes in 25 states
Despite opposition North and South, Buhari on August 19 approved the recommendations of a committee to review “with dispatch” 368 grazing routes across 25 states “to determine the levels of encroachment.”
His Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, said the move is to curb clashes between herders and farmers across the country.
But it came three months after Southern Governors banned open grazing in the entire region, which was labelled unconstitutional by federal Attorney General and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami.
“The President’s directive followed his approval of the recommendations of a committee chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari,” Adesina said in a statement published by SaharaReporters.
“Among others, the committee had recommended the collection of field data collection on 368 Grazing Reserves across 25 states to assess encroachment and encroachers, stakeholder engagements and sensitisation.
“The committee also recommended production of maps and geo-mapping/tagging of sites, analysis of findings and report preparations as well as design appropriate communication on Grazing Reserves and operations.
“The number of the Grazing Reserves and States were deduced from considerations of existing security concerns and other pre-existing socio-economic conditions.
“The President directed that the assignment be undertaken with dispatch to bring more understanding on the Grazing Reserves, and implementation.”
Committee members and their task
Members of the committee include
· Kebbi State Governor and National Food Security Council Vice Chairman, Abubakar Bagudu
· Ebonyi State Governor and CNEC Sub-Committee for National Livestock Transformation Plan Chairman, David Umahi
· Water Resources Minister Suleiman Adamu
· Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Sabo Nanono
· Environment Minister Mohammad Abubakar
· Deputy Chief of Staff Ade Ipaye
“The Technical Sub-Committee consists of representatives from the seven members of the main committee in addition to representatives from Ministry of Justice, Surveyor General of the Federation, National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) and National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA),” Adesina added.
“Among its Terms of Reference, the Committee was to collate from states and confirm the status of all Grazing Reserves, assess the percentage of available land and those with existing encroachment complications for case-by-case resolution in partnership with state governments and the FCT.
“The Committee will also make recommendations for gazetting of ungazetted Grazing Reserves and create a data base of National Cattle Herders and ensure that Grazing Reserves are well communicated to all stakeholders. The inaugural meeting of the Committee was held on May 10, 2021.”