Fulani herdsmen in Oyo state have vowed to drag the state government to court over plan the state Open Rearing and Grazing Regulations bill presently at the state House of Assembly recently.
The herdsmen at a special forum in Igangan, Ibarapa North Local Government Area, resolved to stop the planned bill at the second reading jointly sponsored by the Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin and the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Abiodun Fadeyi.
At the meeting presided over by
the Sarkin Fulani of Oyo state, Alhaji Saliu Abduk-Kadir declared that the state Anti-Open Grazing Bill is “too draconian” and targeted at crippling Fulani herdsmen from practising their age-long cattle rearing activities across the state.
“We will go to court. We will seek legal redress if Oyo State Government insists on imposing this Bill on us,”, he said.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting which lasted over five hours at the popular Kara Market in Igangan. Oyo State Secretary of Gan Allah Fulani Development Association, Mr. Garba Umar disclosed that the Fulani herdsmen had resorted to rejecting the Bill in its totality because they perceived it as one that would cause serious setback to their means of livelihood.
“For the Anti-Open grazing bill to be implementable, the Fulani herdsmen appealed to Oyo State Government to provide RUGA or grazing reserve for cattle rearers where there would be easy accessibility to water and grazing facilities.Failure to do this, the Fulani herdsmen maintained” he said.
The communique added that implementation of the Bill as it is will cause commotion.” adding that , “it is simply this issue that threw up IDP Camps in Benue. And we don’t want all this to happen here in Oyo State where we have been living peacefully with our fellow farmers for ages,” the Fulani herdsmen submitted.
The communiqué reads: “However, if we are pushed to the wall, we know the next level. Our next level is to seek the legal option. We will go to the court of law over the matter.
“But for now, we are begging Oyo State Government to see us as Nigerians and partners in progress who, for ages immemorial, have added values to the economy of the State.It is also a matter of fact that we Fulani dominate large percentage of voters in Oyo State. Government only recognize us during electioneering and voting periods. Government is not giving us any facility or loan to boost our cattle rearing business while the farmers, on the other hand, get agric loans, fertilizers, etc. Is this the only way Government is now repaying us for our patriotism?
“We are equally opposed to ranching which is capital intensive. Why not ask the farmers also to fence their farm holdings? How much are we going to be spending per caged cow per annum in form of feeding, etc.? We do not agree.
Government should rather checkmate the inflow of foreign Fulanis who have been responsible for the security challenges in the land.”
