…Kanu has no basis to issue
ultimatum to S-East govs – Imo gov,
Uzodinma
…Re-echo by IPOB, a wakeup call for
reconsideration – Okorie
…Ex-Akwa Ibom lawmaker urges FG
to encourage state ranching
By Clifford Ndujihe, Chioma
Onuegbu, Chimaobi Nwaiwu &
Olayinka Ajayi
Leader of the Indigenous People of
Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has again
appealed to South East governors to
as a matter of urgency, ban all
manner of open grazing in the region
in compliance with the 1969
statutory law of the Federal
Government that banned it.
Ad
But, his proposition met stiff
resistance from Imo State governor,
Hope Uzodinma, who argued that
though South East governors were
desirous of solving the intractable
farmers/herders’ clashes, the IPOB
leader had no basis to issue
ultimatum to the governors.
Kanu had warned that if after 14 days
the South East Governors failed to
heed his appeal, and there is no firm
and decisive action by them to ban
open grazing in South East, IPOB’s
Eastern Security Network, ESN, would
step in to commence the
enforcement of the 1969 Anti-Grazing
Law across the entire region.
Ad
It will be recalled that Mazi Kanu had
on May 15, 2020, made a similar
appeal in a letter he wrote to South
East and South South Governors,
State Houses of Assembly members
of South East and South South,
informing them of his intention to
work with them in establishing a
security outfit for the zones before he
went ahead towards the end of the
year to establish the Eastern Security
Network, ESN, to secure forests in
the zones.
In a statement he personally signed
and made available to newsmen
through IPOB’s Media and Publicity
Secretary, Emma Powerful, yesterday,
Kanu urged the South East Governors
to emulate the bold step taken by
their South West counterparts by
banning open grazing.
Ad
The statement read: “We wish to
humbly and most submissively call
upon all the governors of the East to,
as a matter of urgency, ban all
manner of open grazing in the region
in compliance with the 1969
statutory law of Nigeria that banned
such provocative and primitive
practice by Fulani herdsmen.
“The bold step taken by Yoruba
governors in banning open grazing in
their region is commendable and as
such MUST be reciprocated and
consolidated by a similar
pronouncement in the East.
Ad
“If after 14 days there is no firm and
decisive action by Eastern governors
to ban open grazing in our land,
Eastern Security Network, ESN, will
step in to commence the
enforcement of this 1969 Anti-
Grazing Law across the entire region.
Don’t say you were not informed or
given prior warning.”
Speaking on Nnamdi Kanu’s appeal
to South-East governors to ban open
grazing or the ESN of IPOB would
enforce it, Imo State Commissioner of
Information, Mr. Declan Emelumba,
said the IPOB leader had no right to
issue ultimatum to the governors.
Ad
His words: ‘’I don’t know the basis
he is issuing the ultimatum. Is he the
boss of the governors or superior
authority? The governors will look at
his appeal at their discretion.
‘’The threat aspect is wrong. He has
no right to talk of enforcement. The
South-East governors will always
take decision based on the best
interest of the people who elected
them.’’
Efforts to get the reaction s of other
governors in the South East and
South last night proved abortive, as
they refused to speak on the issue.
Ad
Speaking on the issue yesterday, a
chieftain of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, Chekwas Okorie,
stressed that opinion leaders in the
region had pressed South-East
governors to employ the Benue State
model in actualizing it through legal
means, just as South-West
Amotekun.
He said: “It’s not about IPOB calling
for it, it is nothing new, it has been
suggested before. Opinion leaders in
the South-East have suggested the
Benue State model in this regard.
‘’But now that it has been re-echoed
by IPOB, I think it should be
considered. Whatever their constraint
is, none of us know. But I expect
them to address insecurity in the
region.
Ad
‘’South-East governors are not
proactive on security matters. The
reecho by IPOB should be a wakeup
call for reconsideration.”
Meanwhile, a former member of the
House of Representatives, Mr. Peter
Umoh, has urged the Federal
government to encourage state
government to establish cattle
ranches to end herders/farmers crisis
in the country.
Umoh gave the advice weekend,
while reacting to the worsening
Fulani herders/farmers crisis across
the country, especially in the South
West and South South geo-political
zones.
Ad
He stressed that ownership of ranch
by state governments would address
the recurring clashes between
farmers and herders more effectively
than the strategy of land grabbing
from the various states as proposed
by President Muhammadu Buhari’s
admistration.
He expressed worries over the
situation and appealed that Nigerians
should learn to co-exist peacefully
no matter where they found
themselves and irrespective of their
tongue and tribe.
Umoh stressed: “My analysis of the
situation currently is that today, it is
happening in the South West.
Nobody knows when it will explode
in the South East, South South or
Middle Belt because the Fulanis are
everywhere.”
Ad
“They may not be many but they
have their own agenda. So, it is not a
South West matter, it should be every
Nigerian’s matter. My appeal is that
Mr President should by action, show
that he is not, as perceived by so
many Nigerians that he is closing his
eyes against what the Fulanis are
doing to other fellow Nigerians.
“He should be able to caution his
own kinsmen. And the proposed
ranching system should not have
been the way the President Buhari
led administration had taken it; to
grab land from various states, no
because cattle rearing is business.
Let the people who want to do the
business buy land and then enclose
it so that this normadism will stop.
Ad
“That is what the President should
have done. And I plead not to try to
impose it on each state by grabbing
their lands. The President can
encourage each state of the
federation to establish its own ranch.
I think this is one of the ways out of
the farmers/ herders crisis in Nigeria”


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/02/imo-govt-ipob-battle-over-ban-on-open-grazing-in-s-east/

Just making noise

The south west has established theirs, whats holding the east from doing the same truly this present governors are all cowards...


No they should wait before the killings get outta hand

The southeast governors have banned open grazing but i doubt that they can enforce it because the law enforcement agencies are controlled by the federal government, they would need to establish their own security network to enforce it. secondly i don't think any southeast governors would like to annoy Buhari by establishing such a network due to their 2023 ambitions, IPOB/ESN would need to stand on the ban to enforce it. That's the only viable alternative.