- Northern govs list expectations from new service chiefs
By Deji Elumoye
The recurring clashes between farmers and herdsmen may soon become a thing of the past if the federal government accedes to the proposal of Kano state government for the total ban of movement of cattle from the Northern to the Southern part of the country.
This is just as some Northern governors advised the new service chiefs to hit the ground running with a view to surmounting the security challenges facing the nation.
Governor Umar Ganduje, while canvassing for the enactment of a law to ban movement of cattle from the North to other parts of the country said this would resolve the incessant incidences of clashes between farmers and herders.
The governor who made the call in Daura, Katsina, after he along with some other All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors met with President Muhammadu Buhari, also emphasised that banning the movement of herders from North to other parts of the country will address the challenge of cattle rustling in the country.
His words: “My advocacy is that we should abolish the transportation or trekking of herdsmen from the Northern part of Nigeria to the Middle Belt and to the Southern part of Nigeria. There should be a law that will ban such movement, otherwise we cannot control the conflicts between herdsmen and farmers and cannot control the cattle rustling which is affecting us greatly.”
Commenting on the on-going Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) projects in his state, Ganduje said “we are building a Ruga settlement in Samsosua Forest, our border with Katsina, and we have succeeded in curtailing the effect of banditry in that area.
“So, we are building many houses, we are constructing a dam; we are establishing a Cattle Artificial Insemination Centre; we are establishing veterinary clinic and already we have started building houses for herdsmen”.
On what to expect from the new Service Chiefs, the governor adviced them to work closely with state governors because they (the governors) know what the people need and the black spots in their domains.
Speaking in the same vein, Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe state said “I will ask the servic chiefs to work hard; harder than what Mr. President might have assumed they would do because the task ahead is very challenging and I believe they will live up to expectations.”
On his part, Governor of Jigawa state, Badaru Abubakar, asked the service chiefs to listen to those at the grassroots for relevant security information saying “I think they have to listen to people in transfer of intelligence and continue to ask people to pray for them.”
Meanwhile, Kebbi state governor, Bagudu Abubakar, has described the ongoing revalidation and registration of members of the ruling APC as an opportunity to deepen democracy, show respect for institutions of the party and sanctity of those institutions.
According to him, President Buhari by re-validating his membership of the APC in Daura, Katsina state at the weekend has demonstrated leadership by example to show that party’s organs and membership matter in order to deepen democracy in the country.
