Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, and Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Monday carpeted the Presidency for supporting the statement made by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami over the ban placed on open grazing by the southern governors.
The Presidency, had on Monday condemned the Southern Governors Forum’s recent decision to ban open grazing and other resolutions reached at their meeting, dubbing them “acts of politicking intended by its signatories to demonstrate power.”
This was contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, which was titled ‘President Buhari okays deep-rooted solutions to herdsmen attacks, clears way for ranching and revival of forest reserves.’
Shehu, while backing Malami in the statement said, “President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed a strong resolve to address the conflicts of herders and farmers in a sustained and lasting manner that should lead to the emergence of a permanent solution to the frequent clashes between them as well as the associated problem of the gun-wielding ‘killer herdsmen.’
“The President had approved a number of specific measures to bring a permanent end to the frequent skirmishes as recommended by Alhaji Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture; in a report he submitted and the President signed off on it back in April, well before the actions of the Southern Governors Forum which attempts to place a ban on open grazing and other acts of politicking intended by its signatories to demonstrate their powers.
“It is very clear that there was no solution offered from their resolutions to the herder-farmer clashes that have been continuing in our country for generations.
Reacting to this, the Delta State Governor, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, faulted the Presidency, saying that nothing was wrong with southern governors demonstrating their executive power.
“They said act of politicking and so what? If they want to call it politics, it is nothing to us.”
Meanwhile his Ondo State counterpart, Akeredolu, on Monday, asked the Federal Government to find a way to improve animal husbandry in the country.
He spoke at the opening of the 2021 Nigerian Bar Association’s annual conference in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Akeredolu, who is a former National President of NBA while speaking, said, “We cannot continue this lifestyle. If the Federal Government will come up to assist farmers, animal husbandry is another aspect of farming. If you are spending money on those who are into rice cultivation, why can’t you spend money on those who are into animal husbandry?
“The only way to do that is to take them off this anachronistic way of having to herd cows from Kaura Namoda to Lagos. It does not make sense, not in this century. It is the best to encourage ranching. It is very clear in my speech that Federal Government should assist states who want to establish ranches.”
He also maintained that the comparison of spare parts trading with open grazing by Malami was most unfortunate. He said Malami’s response to the Asaba Declaration showed his mindset and he had challenged him to go to court based on that as well as his objection to the establishment of Amotekun Corps.
