Herdsmen’s menace, a national challenge, says Okowa

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has said that the menace of herdsmen was not peculiar to Delta State but, a national issue which was been tackled.

The governor yesterday made this assertion while addressing a group of people from Ossissa community near Asaba who came to appeal to him to help solve the incessant attacks on them by suspected Fulani herdsmen operating in the area.

According to him, “the herdsmen’s menace is a problem across the whole country, over 22 states in the federation are having this problem.”

“Until we are able to establish ranches to rear cattle, we will continue to have this problem; we except that people should be reasonable in what they do, they should not just walk into any farm that has crops and start grazing their cattle”, Governor Okowa said, adding, “in as much as we cannot stop them from grazing, they should be reasonable.”

He disclosed that this administration had taken measures to tackle security challenges in the state, noting that the State Advisory and Peace Council, which has Prof. Sam Oyovbaire as Chairman, the anti-cultism and anti-kidnapping law was being strengthened in the state to be effective.

“We have inaugurated Peace and Advocacy committee which is headed by the Deputy Governor of the state and they have continued to engage our youths and our elders in the creeks;

we have been receiving a lot of results and the State Advisory and Peace-Building Council, led by Prof. Sam Oyovbaire, has also been doing their bit as they have intervened in some disputes that have been reported and we are hoping that we will increase the activities of this council in the course of this year”,

Governor Okowa said, adding “the State Security Council has continued to meet on a very regular basis and we are also empowering vigilant groups, who are  working with the Commissioner of Police, to ensure that they continue to provide detailed vigilante for our communities.”

The governor said “we have also signed the Anti-Cultism and Anti-kidnapping bill into law and, by the grace of God, anybody who is found and convicted of kidnapping or anyone who is associated or assisted in such an act,

apart from the fact that there will be a life sentence, every property belonging to such a person will be confiscated and destroyed, and we have also signed into law,

the Security Trust Fund bill which enable us raise money both from the private sector and from government to be able to further support our security agencies.”

Earlier, the leader of the group, Chief Johnson Akwue, appealed to the governor to come to their aid, as they can no longer go to their farm lands for fear of the unknown perpetuated by the herdsmen.