The resolve of the federal government to sink about N100bn into the establishment of modern ranches as a solution to the perennial clashes between pastoralists and farmers in the country is a welcome development.
Disclosing the plan recently, the Plateau state Governor, Simon Bako Lalong, said that President Muhammadu Buhari and the state governors have agreed that ranches should be built to address the frequent clashes between farmers and Fulani herdsmen instead of creating grazing reserves.
Currently, the clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers are not only blood chilling but also occurring almost on a daily basis. Unfortunately, several problems come with these tragic incidents. Among them are loss of human lives, mainly women and children, wanton destruction of crops and entire farmlands and mindless destruction of homes, as well as turning the people to refugees in their own land.
Until lately when the Agatu/Fulani herdsmen crises in Benue state took the centre stage, the Berom/Fulani herdsmen brutal clashes in Plateau state with spillovers to Southern Kaduna dominated the horrific stage for a very long time. This explains why the government should take urgent steps towards creating the ranches, having been convinced that it would provide a lasting solution to the menace that is steadily assuming a national phenomenon. This is evident by the recent tragic incident in Abbi community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu state where suspected Fulani herdsmen reportedly invaded the area and unleashed terror on the people, killing a brother and sister and razing about seven houses and several motorcycles. About 19 persons were declared missing and several others wounded during the rampage. Presently, tension is also brewing in some parts of the South-west following the heavy presence of herdsmen.
The resolve to set up the ranches is coming on the heels of the revelation made by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe, that in a bid to stem the perennial conflicts between farmers and herdsmen, the federal government has resolved to expand livestock agribusiness to include commercial production of grass for feeding cattle.
According to the minister, “Cattle roaming has to end; we just have to grow grass.”
He said that the increasing cases of deaths linked to conflicts between herdsmen and farmers were quite worrisome and needed to be taken care of. Chief Ogbe noted that despite cattle grazing and stock routes, conflicts continue to grow with cases of deaths recorded along those routes.
The minister had also assured that by the end of this month, the first supply of grass would be on the way to the country.
He said: “We are taking a radical step and we are beginning now. We are also going to grow grass on a very large scale all over the country.”
In our previous editorial (April 5, 2016), we had stated thus:
“It is common knowledge that next to the Boko Haram terrorism are the conflicts between herdsmen and farmers. Although the clashes existed long before the emergence of terrorism in the North-east axis and some parts of the northern states, the situation has worsened in recent years. Until lately, the hostilities were peculiar to places like Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue states because of their good vegetation and farming activities. However, the herder-farmer confrontations have spread to the southern parts of the country, including the Niger Delta axis of all places.
“Previous attempts to broker peace and understanding among the warring parties have yielded no meaningful results. It has been a clash of economic interests: the herders want to feed their cattle and the farmers want to protect their crops. Frustrated by the vagaries of desertification in the upper belt region of the country where cattle rearing is predominant, herders are compelled to migrate in search of the greener pastures. In the process, the cattle feast on any vegetation they set their eyes on. And it is difficult to control them.
“In addition to cultivating grass in commercial quantities to feed the animals, government at all levels should designate ranches in their territories while herders are given new orientation to shed their nomadic mentality. They should be made to understand that it is in their own interest to graze their animals at designated locations. By so doing, government can secure them and their animals from the activities of cattle rustlers.”
We urge the federal government to muster sufficient political will to pursue the laudable plan to its logical conclusion. One of the key responsibilities of the government is to ensure the security of lives and properties of its citizens. However, successive administrations have performed well below par in this regard.
