The Presidency has faulted the recent
resolutions of the Southern Governors, including the ban on open grazing in the
entire southern part of the country.
In a
statement on Monday, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and
Publicity, Garba Shehu, believes the Governors have failed to provide any
solution to the lingering crisis between farmers and herders in the country.
“It is very
clear that there was no solution offered from their (the Governors’)
resolutions to the herder-farmer clashes that have been continuing in our
country for generations,” he said.
Shehu added,
“But the citizens of the Southern States – indeed citizens of all States of
Nigeria – have a right to expect their elected leaders and representatives to
find answers to challenges of governance and rights, and not to wash their
hands off hard choices by, instead, issuing bans that say: “not in my State”.
State
Governors in the South had resolved to ban open grazing and movement of cattle
by foot in the region following a meeting held on May 11 in Asaba, the Delta
State capital.
They had
called for the restructuring of the country along with fiscal federalism,
devolution of powers, and state policing, as well as asked President Muhammadu
Buhari to convene a national dialogue to address the agitations by various
groups in the region.
Reacting to
the series of calls made by the Governors, Shehu explained that the President
has expressed a strong resolve to address the conflicts of herders and farmers
in a sustained and lasting manner.
He was
hopeful that this would lead to the emergence of a permanent solution to the
frequent clashes between both parties, as well as the associated problem of the
gun-wielding killer herdsmen.
‘Worried More Than Any Other Citizen’
The
President’s spokesman noted that his principal had approved a number of
specific measures to bring a permanent end to the frequent skirmishes as
recommended by the Minister of Agriculture, Sabo Nanono, in a report he
submitted.
He stated
that President Buhari signed off on the report in April, accusing the Southern
Governors of acts of politicking intended to demonstrate their power by banning
open grazing in their various States.
According to
Shehu, the ban on open grazing is of questionable legality, given the
constitutional right of all Nigerians to enjoy the same rights and freedoms
within every one of the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) –
regardless of the State of their birth or residence.
“Fortunately,
this declaration has been pre-empted, for whatever it is intended to achieve,
and Mr President, who has rightly been worried about these problems more than
any other citizen in consultation with farmers and herders alike, commissioned
and approved an actionable plan of rehabilitating grazing reserves in the
States, starting with those that are truly committed to the solution and
compliant with stated requirements.
“With
veterinary clinics, water points for animals, and facilities for herders and
their families, including schooling – through these rehabilitated reserves, the
Federal Government is making far-reaching and practical changes allowing for
different communities to co-exist side-by-side: supporting farmers to till
their fields, herders to rear their livestock, and Nigerians everywhere to be
safe,” he said.
The
presidential spokesman said the entire country was aware of the strain the
COVID-19 pandemic has taken on public finances – for both Federal and States.
He, however,
noted that the federal funding for the project that has been delayed was being
partly unlocked and actual work for the full actualisation of the modern
reserve system in a few of the consenting States would take off in June.
Source: channelstv.com
0 Comments