The Federal Government, at the weekend, said the intractable clashes between herdsmen and farmers may not end soon. It explained that permanent solutions to the conflicts required a lot of planning and funds, which was lacking at the moment.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who disclosed this in Abuja, noted that government was not leaving any stone unturned in its commitment to engender an ecosystem where everybody would live peacefully, devoid of clashes and killings.

He stated that the National Conference on the Transformation of Nigerian Livestock Industry, holding in Abuja from tomorrow, was one of the creative approaches to finding lasting solutions to the issue.

He pointed out that the situation became deplorable because of the total abandonment of the livestock sub-sector over the years.

“I can’t give you a date when the conflicts will end but I can give you a date when the conference will end. I can give you a date and I will, when implementation begins. And we will start as soon as possible.

“To solve this problem requires a great deal of planning and expenditure. You can’t think that after one meeting, then recommendations come, you want to solve the problem; you don’t have all the funds at once, because this is a problem that has been with us for quite a while, it’s just growing and getting worse.

“The budget we have can’t cope, the state governors must be involved. Other stakeholders who want to keep ranches, cattle must be here. If we don’t have the money, we ask the FAO, the World Bank or AfDB because that is their job- to help us out. Then, we draw our design, do a costing and pass it on to them.”

The minister stated that one of the major sub-themes of the conference would be access to land and land tenure security, expected to address farmers-pastoralists conflicts and implications on internal security; land tenure system, grazing reserves and mainstreaming gender issues in livestock production.

“The reason for this new approach is to put this matter before all Nigerians. It’s our problem. Quarrelling, hauling abuses at each other, raising suspicions, anger and all that will not help. We have a problem, we must solve it and solutions are not that difficult to find, which is why we have invited virtually everybody we think will help in providing solutions- state governors, experts, ministries, consultants, the World Bank, the FAO- we want to sit together and design a solution. A country which has at least 45 million hectares of empty land has no business allowing farmers and cattle rearers to fight,” he stated.

Former Lagos State Police Commissioner, Abubakar Tsav, backed the Federal Government on its claim that the clashes would not go away overnight. He argued that not even the anti-grazing law, already passed by both Benue and Taraba states, was enough to put an end to the incessant clashes.

“The anti-grazing law made by Benue and Taraba states will have no effect because the laws were made in a hurry an in violation of the rights of the herdsmen. The state governments ought to have carved out areas as ranches and provide water, veterinary clinics, nets, schools and so on before making the law.

“They ought to have consulted widely. Herdsmen have a right to movement under the constitution to carry out their businesses. By creating ranches, states will improve and expand their revenue base. A law which has ethnic and religious connotations can only tear us apart as a people in one nation. The current law without alternative grazing area is an indirect way of sending herdsmen out of the states.”

But former member of the House of Representatives, Bitrus Kaze said it was unfortunate that anybody in government, at whatever level, would contemplate such a pessimistic statement.

“If a government that promised to end Boko Haram is making such a pessimistic statement on herdsmen/farmers’ conflict, then it goes to show that the herdsmen have powerful people in government. Very clearly, we know that in this government, the herdsmen have the upper hand and if anybody in government at the federal level is making such a statement, it is a complicit statement and it is very unfortunate. It also suggests very well, to me, that somebody somewhere in government is enjoying the crisis between farmers and herdsmen.”

The Secretary Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA), Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu-Ukoh said the statement suggested that the herdsmen were above the law.

“So, we are not surprised that the herdsmen were neither arrested nor detained, there was no Operation Cobra Dance or Dancer Dance for the herdsmen… So, we are under siege and the herdsmen has been favourite and chosen warriors of government who cannot be arrested, who cannot be prosecuted and this has deepened the anger, bitterness, delusions and hatred in the land. We hope the government actually do have advisers because all their moves are usually wrong.”

Chief Femi Obakayo, a community leader in kabba tasked the government to do all within its power to stop the crises as it posed grave threat to the nation’s democracy.


http://sunnewsonline.com/herdsmen-farmers-clashes-wont-end-soon-fg/

Meanwhile, we should allow the Fulani herdsmen to continue to humiliate us but must not retaliate until you are able to figure out what to do, right?

Old man, if there is any integrity still left in you, please resign now.

The major problem of Africans - Nigerians especially is that we talk too much. All talk like parrot but no action. Ranching is the only solution. Enough of all this long needles epistles abeg

The president is the grand patron of herdsmen so wat do we expect before?
Herdsmen all come from somewhere, They are not invisible, then why do communities allow snakes roam about their land, why pursue or kill the snakes before it bites someone? Why would they rather cry and protest wen bitten?

igbeke:
Meanwhile, we should allow the Fulani herdsmen to continue to humiliate us but must not retaliate until you are able to figure out what to do, right?

Old man, if there is any integrity still left in you, please resign now.

Yet the imbecilic Buhari biggest headache is ipob - even Hitler would marveled at Buharis Jim crowism

europe and america went through the same problem before getting it better..remember wild wild west with cowboys??...

people always forget that nigeria is a very young democracy.....democracy was forced on us by the europeans...we could have abandon it after colonization,but we choose to keep it...why??..i dont know..

we are still learning how it works...we,africans are not democratical people.....we were a empire people with kings and queens...

africas problem is not realy tribal..its the rich against the poor and europe went through the same thing..

tsdarkside:
europe and america went through the same problem before getting it better..remember wild wild west with cowboys??...

people always forget that nigeria is a very young democracy.....democracy was forced on us by the europeans...we could have abandon it after colonization,but we choose to keep it...why??..i dont know..

we are still learning how it works...we,africans are not democratical people.....we were a empire people with kings and queens...

africas problem is not realy tribal..its the rich against the poor and europe went through the same thing..

Nigeria is neither in europe nor in america.

Your post is overflowing with cowardice and APC ineptitude

Is there any law stopping farmers from buying AK47 for their self protection

More states need to ban open gray asap. Then entrepreneurs need have ranches to put the guys out business. After they lose market share they will learn not to be nuisance to everyone.

Morally bankrupt FG.

This government always reek of crass incompetence and ineptude, there is no end in sight because Buhari is the grand patron of Miyetti Allah, so indirectly the Fulani herdsmen have a right to kill and rape anybody at will, cows are now more valuable than human beings, yet they parked soldiers to Nnamdi Kanu's house when those soldiers should be sent in the bush to protect lives from these terrorists calld herdsmen.
first we ask where do they get the AK-47 riffles that they use, and how come the police have not initiated moves to be searching them at random same way yahoo boys phones and laptops are checked??
Also this looks like a calculated operation aimed at forcing states to give out land for grazing reserves where the Fulani herdsmen will dominate, which indirectly looks like an alleged islamization of the country.
Thirdly why is it that no single person from the herdsmen has been prosecuted ever since this ethnic cleansing started and why have the Nigerian Army not initiated Operation mosquito dance against the Armed herdsmen??
Let them continue their drama in this Fulani caliphate, we are watching, it's only time.

Pure arrant nonsense...

Pending when the issue is addressed, more southern lifes and properties could be endangered no problem.

The fool dishing out this message is even from a region where the Fulanis have damaged his people so much. Something must be wrong with Abuja, one who steps into there with any political post, the brain goes numb and he starts yarning nonsense

Hahaha

Ok

Because the perpetrators are part of your government plus no proper plan for it to end

So, government can't fulfill it's primary responsibility?

I believe lawlessness would soon takeover and jungle justice prevail.

Imagine!
I'm sure the reason why they are saying this is because right now the herdsmen are having upper hand.
The day the farmers will rise up in anger and vehemence against the herdsmen, that is the very day the useless fg will find solution.

tsdarkside:
europe and america went through the same problem before getting it better..remember wild wild west with cowboys??...

people always forget that nigeria is a very young democracy.....democracy was forced on us by the europeans...we could have abandon it after colonization,but we choose to keep it...why??..i dont know..

we are still learning how it works...we,africans are not democratical people.....we were a empire people with kings and queens...

africas problem is not realy tribal..its the rich against the poor and europe went through the same thing..

God of justice will surely make you and your family victims of this evil Nigeria... You people will never escape it... You people blood must be used for sacrifice for this evil Nigeria

I'm not surprised.

So we should allow them to continue to kill because FG can't figure out what to do
why not role the military tanks in the affected Area of Kanu is more important than our Agriculture
this government na disgrace to Nigeria
If this government continues after 2019 then expect food scarcity coz farmers will be killed more than what we are witnessing today

I'm not surprised.

Freedom of movement does not include entering the farmers Land and damaging his crops. In fact you shouldn't enter into a private property without permission otherwise you are trespassing.

However, there are exceptions to certain government agencies and it appears the fulani herdsmen have been appointed to those agencies.

So this means that the marauding "Malian-Lybian"Fulanis herdsmen will keep on killing hapless Nigerians while this useless government saddled with the primary responsibility of protecting them will continue to sit as the lame duck that they were No wonder the nation's security forces are rather deployed to regions to molest and kill defenceless citizens I regret being a Nigerian.

Ofvourse we know it will never end cos the herdsmen are backed by Fg..

They cants stop the clash but the military can prance around in Nnamdi Kanu's compound aimlessly...useless people.

rainylad:



Ofvourse we know it will never end cos the herdsmen are backed by Fg..

They cants stop the clash but the military can prance around in Nnamdi Kanu's compound aimlessly...useless people.

Just imagine the callous and discouraging statement from the clueless leaders

tsdarkside:
europe and america went through the same problem before getting it better..remember wild wild west with cowboys??...

people always forget that nigeria is a very young democracy.....democracy was forced on us by the europeans...we could have abandon it after colonization,but we choose to keep it...why??..i dont know..

we are still learning how it works...we,africans are not democratical people.....we were a empire people with kings and queens...

africas problem is not realy tribal..its the rich against the poor and europe went through the same thing..

So cos Europe n america fought for years b4 finally resolving the problem we should do likewise?

Wats d essence of history?

Is it not to learn from d past so as to avoid repeating same mistakes made by odas?

Dis issue though existing b4 was not dis alarming, it took dis dimension wen d king of d north aka "d oda room" became president n it will end as soon as he leaves dat office.

I pity d herdsmen cos by den they'll have to return to their respective hometowns or face d wrath of their host whom they've used federal might to oppress while it lasted.

Already we've started seeing retaliations n this is child's play compared to wat is awaiting dem come 2019.

As for Mr. Ogbeh, u have always been a puppet to every government u can feed from so go ahead, defend ur oga @ d top n his herdsmen.

asksteve:


So cos Europe n america fought for years b4 finally resolving the problem we should do likewise?

Wats d essence of history?

Is it not to learn from d past so as to avoid repeating same mistakes made by odas?

Dis issue though existing b4 was not dis alarming, it took dis dimension wen d king of d north aka "d oda room" became president n it will end as soon as he leaves dat office.

I pity d herdsmen cos by den they'll have to return to their respective hometowns or face d wrath of their host whom they've used federal might to oppress while it lasted.

Already we've started seeing retaliations n this is child's play compared to wat is awaiting dem come 2019.

As for Mr. Ogbeh, u have always been a puppet to every government u can feed from so go ahead, defend ur oga @ d top n his herdsmen.

look,,,other nations went through this process..their is no remedy to how people can coup toghether...

if you want to change things quick,then you must go to war..!!!!

The solution is simple, terrorist herdsmen should rent land from land owners, collect loan if need be from Bank of Agriculture, use said loan to set up a good ranch instead of trespassing on peoples' property and killing them because Buhari is in power

tsdarkside:
europe and america went through the same problem before getting it better..remember wild wild west with cowboys??...

people always forget that nigeria is a very young democracy.....democracy was forced on us by the europeans...we could have abandon it after colonization,but we choose to keep it...why??..i dont know..

we are still learning how it works...we,africans are not democratical people.....we were a empire people with kings and queens...

africas problem is not realy tribal..its the rich against the poor and europe went through the same thing..

I pray that Nigeria will also go through it while your own family members are killed