In a deft move, FG plans to set up cattle colonies

• Says action will protect Agric investments

Interior Minister, Govs meet, insist on ranching

Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has disclosed that the Federal Government will establish Agro-Rangers all over the federation to protect investments in Agriculture.

This development is at the heels of the persistent clashes between farmers and herdsmen where farm lands valued at billions of Naira have been destroyed by cows and several farmers across the federation have lost their lives.

This development, he said, has also led to apathy among farmers and if unchecked will ultimately lead to chronic food shortages.

In a stakeholders meeting in Abuja on Monday convened by the Minister of Interior, Lt- Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazzau (rtd), Ogbeh said that the protection of Agricultural investment has become very necessary since both farmers and herdsmen lay claim to the land and utilise it both for planting of crops and feeding of animals.

According to him, both farmers and herdsmen belong to the same constituency and all are affected by the tragedy.

He said: “It is becoming clear that there are criminals who are bent on causing troubles, taken to criminality and those who are bent on making things extremely difficult for all of us.

“We intend to unfold an agenda with the Ministry of Interior. We are establishing Agro-Rangers to carry out the duty of securing and protecting Agric investments wherever they exist.

“Cattle colonies are also to be established like 5,000 hectares of land where water, adequate security and pasture will be provided. This will also give room for commercialisation of animal waste and cattle rustling will be completely eliminated”.

The colony, he continued, will also include schools for the children of the pastoralists and it will completely eliminate nomadic living.

“We do not want farmers to loose their crops, neither do we want herdsmen to loose their cattle.”

The minister added that government has not done much for the herdsmen as other countries in Europe pay about 6 euros per day as subsidy on livestock.

Ogbeh called on the media to desist from given religious and ethnic colouration to the violence.

“Crime is crime. Nobody gains from violence.

“I assure you that government is doing everything within its capacity to bring the situation under control,” Ogbeh assured.

The host minister, Danbazzau on the behalf of the Federal Government, commiserated with the affected states.

He admitted that it is the responsibility of government to provide the security of persons and properties.

“The governors have invested heavily in Agriculture but unfortunately these efforts have been counter productive due to incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen.

“We must not allow people with hidden interest to politicise the issues,” he said, assuring that the President has at several fora expressed willingness to do all within his powers to bring the situation under control.

Present at the meeting were State Governors: Darius Ishaku (Taraba); Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa); Nasiru el-Rufai (Kaduna); Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger).

Also present were the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; the Director General of the Department of State Security, Lawal Musa Daura as well as the Commandant General, National Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abdulahhi Gana Muhammad.

In a related development, after more than six hours of close door meeting between some state governors and security chiefs at instance of Danbazzau, the team came out with a unanimous decision that ranching remains the only option to end the clashes between farmers and herdsmen.

The state governors also agreed to work together with Security chiefs and the federal government to ensure that the perennial clashes between farmers and herdsmen are completely contained and culprits arrested and prosecuted according to the laws of the country.

In a communique presented by Governors
Samuel Ortom and Darius Ishiaka, the stakeholders vowed to fish out whoever is involved in the clashes, adding that the issues should not be over politicised.

Addressing journalists, Ortom maintained that ranching is the world best method practiced all over the world. He said that the Benue State House of Assembly has passed the Open Grazing Prohibition Bill which has been signed into law, adding that the world has moved from the primitive ways of cattle rearing into an advanced form thereby making the nomadic system of animal husbandry a primitive and unproductive method.

According to him, some farmers in Benue have already embraced that way of livestock keeping, maintaining that hranching is not only for cows but all livestock.

He assured that with the scheme, a lot of jobs will be created in Benue State as farmers are already planting grasses which will be fed to the animals while slaughter house owners are considering setting up abattoirs within the ranches.

He also stated that all the stakeholders have resolved to work together to embrace the new method of animal rearing while those who are bent on resisting the change will be decisively dealt with.

Governor Ortom said, “One thing that is central is that we have agreed that killings in any form is not allowed and security men must apprehend such people and prosecute them.

“There is no point politicizing this matter, it is the responsibility of all Nigerians not just Mr. President or the security agencies or the governors, it should be all of us trying to eliminate the narratives that are resulting to these killings that anyone who is found in these killings should be apprehended by the security agencies which is the way to go.

“We should also come down on hate speeches and see this problem as a national problem and all of us should work together and eliminate it”.
On the issue of ranching as against cattle colony suggested by the Minister of Agriculture, Governor Ortom said, “ In Benue state we have enacted a law on ranching. If he is able to convince us then we can seek for amendments but for now what we have is provision for ranching.

“We are not sending anyone away, all herds men are allowed to stay in Benue State but you must ranch your livestock not just cattle.

“Now if we see any cow roaming about we consider them as rustlers and we shall deal with them. That is the world best practice”.

Adding his voice, Governor Ishaku
said that ranching is the only way to go as it has the capacity of creating a lot of jobs.

He said, “Up till today ranching still remains the best option. We don’t want people to die simply because they want to rear animals or farm, it is an unnecessary killing.

“Domesticating our animals is much better more so as our population is getting close to 200 million.

“You have to modernize to make sure that you have enough food and you have enough beef for the population”.