President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday disagreed with the south-south governor’s blanket ban on open grazing by tacitly endorsing the anachronistic way of having to herd cows through the bush track from north to south and cause economic loss to farmers in the process.
Recall that the Southern Governors’ Forum had, on May 11 in Asaba, Delta State, moved against open grazing in the region as well as movement of cattle on foot across the 17 states.
Buhari while reacting to the ban said in a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Garba Shehu that he governors’ resolution is a violation of the constitutional right of Nigerians to live and do business in any part of the country, irrespective of such citizen’s state of origin.
Recall also that the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami had on Wednesday, May 19 revealed what was in the president’s mind when he compared selling of spare parts in the north to open grazing of cattle in southern Nigeria.
He declared: “It is about constitutionality. Within the context of the freedoms enshrined in our constitution, can you deny a right of a Nigerian?
“It is as good as saying maybe the Northern governors coming together to say that they prohibit spare parts trading in the North. Does it hold water? Does it hold water for a northern governor to come and state expressly that he now prohibits spare parts trading in the North?”
Like Malami, the presidential spokesman said the southern governors’ resolution and other actions were intended by its signatories to demonstrate their power.
“It is very clear that there was no solution offered from their resolutions to the herder-farmer clashes that have been continuing in our country for generations.
“Citizens of the southern states – indeed citizens of all states of Nigeria – have a right to expect their elected leaders and representatives to find answers to challenges of governance and rights, and not to wash their hands off hard choices by, instead, issuing bans that say: ‘not in my state.’
“It is equally true that their announcement is of questionable legality, given the Constitutional right of all Nigerians to enjoy the same rights and freedoms within every one of our 36 states (and FCT) -regardless of the state of their birth or residence,” he said.
Shehu said Buhari had approved some measures to permanently end the frequent clashes between farmers and herders as recommended by the ministry of agriculture and water resources.
He said the ministry had submitted a report detailing the recommendations to the president, who endorsed it in April, “well before the actions of the Southern Governors’ Forum, which attempts to place a ban on open grazing and other acts of politicking intended by its signatories to demonstrate their power.”
He added: “Fortunately, this declaration has been preempted, for whatever it is intended to achieve and Mr. President, who has rightly been worried about these problems more than any other citizen in consultation with farmers and herders alike, commissioned and approved an actionable plan of rehabilitating grazing reserves in the states, starting with those that are truly committed to the solution and compliant with stated requirements.
“With veterinary clinics, water points for animals, and facilities for herders and their families, including schooling – through these rehabilitated reserves, the federal government is making far-reaching and practical changes, allowing for different communities to co-exist side-by-side: supporting farmers to till their fields, herders to rear their livestock and Nigerians everywhere to be safe.
“The entire country is acutely aware of the strain the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on public finances, for both Federal and States. Still, given the pressing urgency of addressing the perennial challenges, the federal funding for the project that has been delayed is now being partly unlocked. Actual work for the full actualisation of the modern reserve system in a few of the consenting states should take off in June.”
In his reaction, the governor of Delta State and chairman, South-South Governors’ Forum, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, said there was wrong in the southern governors demonstrating their executive power.
“They said act of politicking and so what? If they want to call it politics, it is nothing to us,” said Okowa.
For the governor of Ondo State, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and his Bauchi opposite number, Mr. Bala Mohammed, the federal government should improve the system of animal husbandry in the country.
Speaking at the opening of the 2021 Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) annual conference in Ibadan, Oyo State, the two state chief executives said open grazing is primitive.
“We cannot continue this lifestyle. If the federal government will come up to assist farmers, animal husbandry is another aspect of farming. If you are spending money on those who are into rice cultivation, why can’t you spend money on those who are into animal husbandry?
“The only way to do that is to take them off this anachronistic way of having to herd cows from Kaura Namoda to Lagos. It does not make sense, not in this century. It is the best to encourage ranching. It is very clear in my speech that Federal Government should assist states who want to establish ranches,” Akeredolu said.
He described as “most unfortunate” Malami’s weird comparison of spare parts trading with open grazing.
He said the minister’s to the Asaba Declaration showed his mindset and he had challenged him to go to court based on that as well as his objection to the establishment of Amotekun Corps.
For his part, Mohammed said Buhari’s regime is clueless adding that he and his fellow Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors had met earlier and stated their opposition to open grazing.
“I so much believe in Nigeria and what is happening today is giving me a lot of concerns. I know I have had altercations with my brother governor here when the issue of herders/farmers was mentioned and Benue State Governor, (Samuel Ortom).
“What the governor of Ondo State said is true. We as PDP governors gathered here (Ibadan) last week and endorsed the position of southern governors. We did that, we made a lot of moderations to it.
“What I am against is ethnic profiling, criminalisation of Fulani herdsmen. I will never agree that all Fulani are criminals. A Fulani man is my hero just like Nnewi man who defies geographical challenges to be where he wants to be.
“Were we having this problem before? No. But why are we having it now? It is because of the cluelessness of this administration. Where are the Fulani killing people coming from?
“I agree with what he (Akeredolu) said that the federal government and states should improve on the practice (of animal husbandry),” he added.
