Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has tasked the President
Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to do more than it is doing presently
to address the burning issue of insecurity in the country.
MURIC also advised Miyetti Allah to take responsibility and
show good leadership by re-organizing its members into cooperatives and ask the
Federal Government for bailouts to buy huge portions of land where they can set
up ranches and graze freely.
The group wants the Federal Government to give the cattle
rearing industry enough funds to buy land for the establishment of ranches.
According to MURIC, the Federal Government can ban open
grazing after the bailout fund has been released.
The suggestion was contained in a press statement circulated
among the media on Wednesday by the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq
Akintola.
“The Federal Government still has some options open to it
after the state governments in the South rejected the ideas of ranches and
rugas,” the statement added.
“In our own view, the state governments who rejected the
idea of donating land for ranches and ruga settelements did so because nobody
was prepared to pay for such land and FG showed no intention to do so.
“It will be a horse of another colour if herders and cow
owners buy land across the country for grazing. It should be a private project
and a business venture just like all other businesses.
“Northern traditional leaders have a role to play in
persuading herders and cow owners to change their mindset and become willing to
operate ranches.
“Concerning financial capacity, this is where FG should come
in. FG must be prepared to stoop in order to conquer. A huge bailout must be
granted herders and cow owners to enable them buy land and set up ranches.”
“Such a bailout is not new and the herders/farmers
connundrum necessitates it. Afterall banks, airlines, private vehicle producing
companies, petroleum importers and even farmers have received subsidies,
bailouts and waivers in the past. It is now the turn of herders and cow owners
and the time to do it is now,” MURIC said.
The group noted that farmers cannot be blamed for
complaining about herdersmen activities on their farm lands, adding that the
crimes being committed by some of the cattle rearers cannot be tolerated by any
community in the country.
MURIC noted that open grazing and the movement cows on foot
has become anachronistic and counter-productive, insisting that farmers need a
peaceful environment and a guaranty of security for both their crops and their
persons.
The group, however, said that the clashes between herdersmen
and farmers across the country is neither religious nor ethnic.
“Therefore, our message to Miyetti Allah is this: ‘The
governments and people of the South West, South South and South East are not
just trying to start any quarrel with you or with your cows. No farmer can be
happy with those who lead cows to destroy his crops.
“Miyetti Allah must take responsibility. Show good
leadership by re-organizing your members into cooperatives and ask FG for
bailouts to buy huge portions of land where they can set up ranches and graze
freely.
“The problem on ground can be resolved if FG shows
willingness to give bailout funds to herders and cow owners. State governments
should also spend part of their security vote on the project.
“Any issue that constitutes security threat qualifies for a
share of the security vote. Unfortunately our governors heap the whole blame on
the presidency, as if they have no business solving security problems in their
states,” it said.
Sunday Igboho, a Yoruba
activist, stormed troubled areas in Yewaland, Ogun State, in continuation of
his anti – killer herdsmen battle in Yorubaland.
He had vowed that all killer-herdsmen will be evicted from
all parts of Yoruba land starting from Igangan, a town in Ibarapa Local
Government Area of Oyo State.
Igboho stormed the state after the residents of Yewa,
Abeokuta North, Odeda and some parts of Ijebu decried what they termed the
inability of the Abiodun-led government to tame the killer herdsmen.
However, the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun said his
government did not seek the help of Igboho to tackle insecurity caused by the
activities of suspected Fulani herdsmen in the state.
Also, in order to find solutions to the lingering insecurity
in many states in the country, South East and South West Governors had recently
reinstated ban on open grazing and the movement of cattle by foot.
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