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Olabode Adaramola
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi 11, has said that Fulani’s are not terrorists nor criminals as being perceived in some quarters in parts of the country ,saying that they are Nigerians who are law abiding citizens that respect. constituted authorities in the country.
The Royal father stated this at the weekend in Minna Niger State capital, during a National Executive Council meeting of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) which was also attended by the
Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Musdafa, fomer Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Ango Abdullahi and Dr. Aliyu Tilde, among other stakeholders.
The meeting was held with the leadership of various Fulani socio-cultural groups such as Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBA), Miyetti Allah Katul Houre and Gan Allah Fulani Development Association to find way of ending the recurring violent clashes involving them and other Nigerians across the country.
Sanusi urged herders to imbibe the culture of patient and perseverance, even in the face of provocation, adding that patience is strength rather than weakness while charging them on unity, peaceful co-existence with other Nigerians and keeping records with facts which they were noted for.
He said the Inspector General of Police Mr. Ibrahim Kpotun Idris has been directed by President Muhammadu Buhari to clampdown on anybody or group of persons who possess illegal arms/ ammunitions and prevailed on state governments not to arm militias, stressing that every Nigerian has the right to live peacefully with other people in any parts of the country for his/her legitimate business.
He further informed various Fulani socio- cultureal associations to identify criminals within their midst for prosecution, while also appealing to Nigerians, especially the media to avoid ethnic profiling whenever a crime was committed by persons of certain tribes, saying criminals have no tribal marks.
Emir Sanusi, urged stakeholders to also liaise with state governors of Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa and Kano states which have indicate interest in allocating grazing reserves, with a view to developing them adding that Niger and Kogi States have allocated 30,000 and 15,000 hectres respectively and a total of 45,000 hectres of farmlands for grazing reserve for herdsmen.
He briefed them on the meeting with the federal government’s team led by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources , Chief Audu Ogbe; Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahaman Danbazzau and the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris as well as stakeholders where useful suggestions were made on the matter.
He disclosed that at the Abuja meeting, that the Minister of Agriculture has agreed to send out his officials to trace the gazetted grazing reserves across the country and the need for the federal government to assist herdsmen with feeds and water as it is done in developed countries of the world.
Leaders of various associations in their separate presentations agreed to take the message of peace to their members, even as they agreed with whatever resolutions taken between the stakeholders and federal government in the interest of peace and unity of the country.
The South West leader at the meeting lamented over some serious challenges facing them in the zone, saying that the region has no gazetted grazing reserves as they were continuously seen as strangers despite the fact that they have been living in the region for over three decades now while charging the people of the region to desist from media propaganda perpetuated in the region against the herdsmen who provided over 70 percent meat being eaten in the country.
How Anambra, Enugu Govts Addressed Farmers/Herders Clash’
The two Southeastern states of Anambra and Enugu have been able to effectively stem the recurring clashes between farmers and herders at a time when their other peers and the federal government were at a loss on how to begin, the Fulani socio-cultural organization, has said.
In an interview with newsmen on the sideline of the National Executive Committee of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association(MACBA) at the weekend in Minna, Niger State capital, the body’s Zonal Chairman, Southeast, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki said Governors Willie Obiano and his counterpart, Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi were open minded in their approach to tackling, what has become a recurring decimal of herders/ farmers clashes across the country.
He said the two governors through stakeholders meetings which included the leadership of the herders associations, farmers unions, traditional rulers and community leaders across all the local government areas in the affected states, were able to understand the causes of the clashes and found amicable ways of addressing them.
He explained that the two governors working with the outcome of the meetings of all stakeholders, set up security committees, which were made up of all the Council chairmen, traditional and community leaders, youth groups, state officials as well as representatives of the herders and farmers, who work tirelessly in entrenching peaceful co-existence among all groups.
He emphasized that the measures, which have worked in stemming the tide of violent conflicts among herders and farmers in the two states should serve as models to others, in parts of the country even as he commended both governors for recognizing the rights of all Nigerians to live peacefully and do business anywhere in the country.
“Conflict between herdsmen and farmers has a long history; the solution has been to engage all stakeholders to find an amicable of resolving such,” he pointed out, even as he called on politicians to avoid exacerbating the conflict for selfish reasons.
