Abuja: Where cows have right of way

Abuja, the nation’s capital, is grappling with many challenges of urbanizaƟ on and the list appears to be growing by the day.

The menace of several herds of caƩ le grazing openly within the city, in spite warnings by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administraƟ on, tasks the paƟ ence of commuters and pedestrians.

In some places, the herders have pracƟ cally converted every available green area in the city to grazing reserves as JOSEPHINE ELLA EJEH highlights in this report.

The poor sanitary condition of Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital City(FCT) has remained a source of concern to not only the residents but the country’s apex legislative body, the National Assembly, for a long time.

In particular, on several occasions, the senate had summoned the FCT administration, to explain how refuse is gradual taking over the once beautiful city .

In addition, herds of cattle are now piling to the frustration of commuters and littering the city with cow dung in the process.

Before now, the sight of cattle criss-crossing major highways and highbrow areas of the city was a rare occurrence but this time around, cows sometimes block major road arteries, to the chagrin of commuters and pedestrians alike.

Almost on a daily basis, large herds graze in low density areas like Maitama, Asokoro, Gwarimpa, Wuse, as well as the Central Area.

Several warnings and arrests have not stemmed the tide as the cows keep having a field grazing day.

Senator Melaye’s suggestion

Piqued by this menace, the Chairman Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Dino Melaye, in September last year, ordered that any stray cow within Abuja metropolis should be slaughtered.

At an interaction with the FCT Minister, Alhaji Muhammad Musa Bello, Dino had said that the ‘’senate as an institution is not happy at how Fulani Herdsmen continue to move their cows across the city centre, which we are aware you have given directive against it some time ago.

From now, get knives and ask your men to slaughter cows found in the capital city or prosecute herdsmen seen with cows in the city centre and let them pay a fi ne of N50,000 per cow or both.

Th is order must be carried out.

FCT’s warning

Although the suggestion was widely condemned, nonetheless people identified with the senator’s frustration but differed only on the way to solve the problem.

Last October, the FCT administration had ordered the herders to stay clear of Abuja but they have not complied, as our correspondent found out.

In fact, the minister had sent a strong warning to the herders to leave Abuja.

According to him, the order was given ‘’not because the government wants to prevent cattle breeders from rearing cattle in the Territory.

You have to understand that when Abuja Environmental Protection Board says cattle should not roam the city, it is not because they want to prevent cattle breeders from raring cattle in the FCT.

’’ The minister had argued that the directive was just for safety of all sundry.

‘’It is for safety of your cattle and above all, safety of the citizens.

In a modern city, it’s not possible for animals and vehicles to move together on the roads because this could cause accidents, which in some cases could be fatal, and it is our duty to protect lives and property.

” Bello had disclosed that the FCT Administration had identified new grazing reserves that will cater for their requirements, with a total of 33,485 hectares earmarked for grazing reserves to cater for about 7 million herds of cattle comprising Paikon Kore – 8,500 hectares, Karshi – 6,000 hectares, Kawu in Bwari – 9,000 hectares and Rubochi in Kuje has 9,985 hectares.

No game reserve

As yet, the herders have not complied with the directive as cows are seen almost everywhere within Abuja and the FCT, especially because of the absence of the said grazing reserves.

In fact, the FCT Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Alhaji Yahaya Isa said the proposed reserves right now only exist on paper.

According to him, the committee has just rounded up its report and submitted it to the FCT minister.

He pointed out that ‘’even approval and appropriation for the grazing reserves are not even captured in this budget.

Maybe it will be captured in the 2018 budget, so as far as the issue of grazing reserve is concerned, there is nothing on ground now to ask any Fulani man to move in now.

” Be this as it may, the herders now move their cattle just around everywhere in Abuja, including the so called restricted areas such as Jabi, Jahi, Maitama, Federal Secretariat, Karu, Central Area, Area 1 Roundabout, Gwarimpa, Asokoro, Central Business District.

 

Miyetti Allah’s claims

However, Isa denied the presence of cattle in these parts of the city.

He claimed that the association had agreed with the FCT administration that the herdsmen should graze within some areas, pending when a grazing reserve is established for their cattle.

Owing to this agreement, the herders are free to operate everywhere but Areas 1-11, Zones 1-6, Wuse 2, Central Area, Villa, Aso Drive and Mississipi in Maitama.

According to him, “ these are the extreme areas we agreed upon so, cattle breeders do not go to those areas.

Anywhere outside these, we only talk to them to keep off the road but nobody asked them not to rear cattle there.

” So far, Isa had insisted that the herders have been operating within the agreed confines.

the naƟ on’s capital, is grappling with many challenges of urbanizaƟ on and the list appears to be growing by the day.

The menace of several herds of caƩ le grazing openly within the city, in spite warnings by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administraƟ on, tasks the paƟ ence of commuters and pedestrians.

In some places, the herders have practically converted every available green area in the city to grazing reserves as JOSEPHINE ELLA EJEH highlights in this report.

Residents deny claims, cite health hazard However, a cross section of residents that our correspondents spoke to disagreed sharply with the chairman of the Breeders’ Association.

According to most of them, the sight of cows taking over roads in almost everywhere in Abuja and FCT is too overwhelming to ignore.

Apart from the potential to cause accidents and the cow dung that the cattle defecate all over the place, the herds also pose health hazards, according to some respondents.

An expert on Sanitation and a member of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Governing Council, Chief Uzoma Onyegbadue said that ‘’contact with droppings of infected cows may result to zoonotic diseases being transferred to human and a variety of them exist, which include Bacteria diseases like Escherichia coli (E.

coli), Salmonella and campylobacter which are commonly spread from cattle to humans through contact with faeces.

’’ Onyegbadue also mentioned the risk of contracting pseudocowpox, which is a virus that causes sores and scabs on a cow’s udders.

“Humans can get sores on their arms and hands if they come in direct contact with the infected area.

With the loitering of cattle in Abuja, the herders who may have contacted this viral disease and can easily spread it among the populace through commercial exchange like purchase of sachet water,” he explained.

For an Abuja-based environmentalist, his concerns center around the environmental hazards that the roaming cattle pose in both the short and the long run.

According to him, the herds “graze on the green luster that is deliberately planted to serve as carbon sinks in the community and the world at large.

Their constant grazing exposes the soil to erosion.

‘’ Similarly, he pointed out that ‘’their feces make the city dirty and the cattle are also a big threat to commuters and other road users.

AEPB looks the other way

The environmentalist suggested that government should do more in enforcing the environmental laws which will help check the menace.

Ironically, while the Abuja Environmental Protection Board ( AEPB) is busy clamping down on hawkers, street and roadside traders believed to be contributing to littering the city, board seems to be paying little or no attention to this menace.

Last October, the Acting Director of the board, Mrs Omolola Olanipekun said that the board had arrested 589 hawkers, 25 cows, 51 sheep and nine herdsmen between May and September, 2017 and arraigned them before a mobile court

Keeps Mum

Several attempts to get the reaction of the spokesperson of the AEPB on the issue proved abortive as at the time of filling this report.

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