The Nigerian government is considering a relaunch of the
ranching programme to address the recurring clashes between herders and farmers.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss
Mustapha, indicated this in a memo to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development, NAN reports.
The communication, signed by a Director in the SGF office
David Attah, is titled “Heightened misunderstanding between farmers and herders
in Abia, Delta and Kwara States”.
The SGF said the recurring invasion of farmlands by migrant
herders and hostilities pose a threat to food security.
Mustapha also observed that the conflicts had affected peaceful
coexistence in the affected communities.
“The aforementioned development underscores the need to
revisit and remodel the ranching programme”, the memo notes.
The SGF urged the relevant ministers to take necessary
action on the matter to ensure people in agrarian areas.
Mustapha warned of violence between herders and farmers in
Opiene community, Arochukwu LGA of Abia, over alleged invasion by the herders
on farmlands in Oblene forest.
More than a dozen nomads were said to have arrived from
neighbouring Itu village in Gdukpani LGA of Cross River State.
President-General of the community, Kalu Irem recently
raised the alarm, calling for urgent government intervention.
The memo also mentions uneasiness in Ogwashi-Uku and
Ubulu-Unor communities in Aniocha LGA of Delta State, due to the increasing
presence of strange pastoralists.
The anxiety followed the refusal of residents to serve as
guarantors to herders encroaching on some farms at Chibata and Aboh-Ogwashi
villages in the same LGA.
Also in Kwara, nomads operating around the Marafa axis of
Ilorin-East LGA were reportedly preparing to fight members of their host
community.
The memo said the planned confrontation was a result of the
recent attack on two of their kinsmen in the area.
The victims, Sadik Isah and Abubakar Bindo, are receiving
treatment at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.
The National Livestock Transformation Programme (NLTP) of
the Buhari administration was met with resistance after the initial
introduction,
As of October 21,2022, about 22 out of the 36 states had
indicated interest to key into the programme.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com