The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has recommended the creation of a Federal
Government agency that will regulate the activities of herdsmen.
Malami said this while delivering his address as a special
guest of honour at the Peace, Unity, and Security Lecture Series at the ECOWAS
main auditorium, Abuja on Tuesday.
The minister admitted that the crisis between the herders
and farmers had become a pressing issue and steps were needed to tackle it.
He also said there was a need to revitalise the Nomadic
Education Commission.
He stated, “Nigeria is predominately agricultural in nature
and by geography. To that extent, there is constant mobility of herders across
the different belts of Nigeria. It is perhaps time to consider the setting-up
of a commission for pastoralism regulated by law.
“This might provide recipes for resolving protracted
farmer-herder conflicts. The commission may even engage in or facilitate
in-depth analytical studies with a view to providing lasting solutions for the
benefit of people and the country.”
He also called for the “revamping of the activities of the
Nomadic Education Commission with a view to complementing the efforts of the
government in resolving the farmer-herder clashes.”
Malami restated the commitment of the Federal Government in
supporting initiatives and programmes that would help resolve the lingering
farmer-herder crises in the country.
The AGF argued that some of the ways for a peaceful Nigeria
include strict adherence to the rule of law, respecting the sanctity of the
fundamental human rights in all ramifications, including freedom of movement
and the right of citizens to stay at whatever part of the country they choose
to and other provisions as contained in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria remain fulcrum for a peaceful society.
The minister said the farmer-herder crisis is real, adding
that it requires real-time and practically-oriented solutions.
He stated, “The better approach towards resolving the crisis
over the short, medium and long terms is to directly involve the stakeholders
in coming up with solutions at the conception, implementation and monitoring
faces.”
Malami also recommended the creation of regulated grazing
reserves to replace the “Burtali” or “Hurumi” pastoral system.
He called for the “intensive enlightenment to livestock
breeders on the need for sedentary farming and transhumance agriculture as a
complementary economic process to nomadic farming.”
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