* Benue government insists cattle ranches are the global best practice
Kano State government has said that it would support the current effort by the Federal Government to carve out grazing reserves for herdsmen across the country.
Director of Press to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Aminu Yassar, said on phone that the idea, which was borrowed from Kano, remained the best step towards ending the incessant violent clashes between farmers and herdsmen.
Yassar said: “The whole concept of grazing reserve was an idea mooted by Kano State government as a proactive step to resolve the incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers, and we are fully behind the Federal Government.”
Yassar explained that several grazing reserves have been earmarked along cattle routes scattered across Kano State for effective coordination.
On the contrary, Benue State government has maintained that establishment of ranches remained the panacea for the crisis rather than the Federal Government’s steps to establish grazing reserves for the marauding Fulani herdsmen to end their bloody clashes with farmers.
The position of the state government was reiterated in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and ICT Tahav Agerzua.
According to Agerzua, “Governor Samuel Ortom has reiterated over time that the establishment of ranches remains the best global practice in animal husbandry that explains why there are no clashes between farmers and herders in countries that have domesticated the practice.
“It has become the generally acceptable practice, which necessitated the position of the government on the matter.”
Tahav wondered why Nigeria has not adopted the practice and maintained that it would serve as the permanent solution to the unending clashes and effectively address the menace of herdsmen/farmers crisis.
He explained further that it would be very difficult and almost impossible to convince any community to donate parcels of land for the purpose of creating grazing land for cattle rearers.
He suggested a synergy between states and the Federal Government in the implementation of the grazing reserves policy adding that in the interim, measures that would promote peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders must be promoted and infringement on the right of either party should be handled within the ambit of the law without resort to self help.
He said the relative peace currently witnessed in the state had been achieved through the Governor’s advocacy and dialogue with the relevant groups, assuring that the administration has intensified collaboration with security agencies to tackle any form of crime in some parts of the state.
-Vanguard
