Why establishing cattle colonies cannot solve Nigeria’s herdsmen crisis
Many Governors and leaders of some key socio-cultural organisations in Nigeria apart from Kogi and a few other states have rejected the proposed plan by the Federal Government to establish cattle colonies in all the states of the federation.
Below are reactions from some of the states concerning the proposed plan:
Benue:
Prominent leaders from Benue State have told President Muhammadu Buhari that there is no land to allow for the establishment of cattle colonies as being proposed by the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh.
Governor Samuel Ortom, has explained that cattle colonies are a combination of several ranches and is proposing that ten thousand hectares should be provided for that purpose.
“In Benue, we don’t have ten hectares for colonies, other states may have, but we don’t have in Benue State,” he said.
Ebonyi:
The Ebonyi State Government has described the proposed cattle colony as a strange and deceptive concept designed to dispossess states of their treasure.
It therefore advocated the adoption of a ranching system as a panacea for curbing the incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers across the country.
Ekiti, Abia, Imo also reject colonies:
Also. Governors Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and the leadership of the Imo State House of Assembly have ruled out any plan to release land for the proposed cattle colonies.
Fayose, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said, Ekiti will not surrender its land for any cattle colonies.
He said, “We don’t give ponds to fish farmers; government does not give pens to poultry farmers, and does not give shops to traders because they are all businessmen.
“A cattle breeder should get a cattle ranch because he is a businessman. We will not surrender our land for any cattle colony.”
He said, “We reject any plan to establish cattle colonies for herdsmen in Abia State. We don’t have enough land for our agricultural activities and our people want more land to farm.”
In its own reaction, the leadership of the Imo State House of Assembly has also said there is no law or bill before it seeking the release of lands for cattle colony, stressing that nobody can take over any place for the use of herdsmen in the state.
South west states/Afenifere:
In a similar vein, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, described the idea of the cattle colonies as an insult to Nigerians.
The Secretary-General of the association, Chief Sehinde Arogbofa, noted that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government was allegedly handling the issue of incessant clashes between the Fulani herdsmen and the farmers in some parts of the country with levity.
South east states/Ohaneze:
Also, the pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, asked the Federal Government to forget the idea of cattle colonies in the South-East geopolitical zone.
The National Publicity Secretary of the group, Uche Achi-Okpaga, told one of our correspondents in Enugu, that creating cattle colonies in areas, where animals are not bred, would lead to more problems.
Achi-Okpaga stated, “We have our local breed of cows in the South-East. They are herded and not allowed to cause damage. If they do, as may be rarely seen, it is at the owners’ risk.
“Why would anybody establish cattle colonies on our land? Is it to begin to create opportunity for further skirmishes? Ndigbo do not buy the idea at all.”
Oyo:
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government said it would examine the content and modality of the Federal Government proposed cattle colonies before allotting lands for the project.
The state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, assured the people of the state that the government would take the right decision on the issue.
Kwara:
The Kwara State Government, through the Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Babatunde Ajeigbe, also said it would await details of the programme before taking a decision on it.
Edo:
The Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said the state government would also not take any decision until due consultation was done.
