A coalition of cattle breeders associations in Nigeria have accused President Muhammadu Buhari of failure to address their challenges, leaving them exposed to victimization with hundreds of their members killed and their cattle rustled.
The coalition of pastoralists association is made up of members of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Tabital Pulaaku International, Nigeria chapter and Fulbe Global Dev. And Rights Initiatives (FGDRI).
Members of the group raised the alarm over the upsurge of violence and what they called ethnic cleansing of pastoral communities in parts of the country, a development they said seemed to be well organised and orchestrated by ethnic bigots who want to continue the ethnic wars.
They also complained that while over N500 billion was spent on agronomy under Buharis watch, nothing was spent on livestock.
We have never had it so bad as when Buhari was in Government. This is the worst ever for the Nigerian pastoralist. We have never had it so bad like this time, national president of MACBAN, Baba Othman Ngelzarma said, while addressing journalists at a press conference on the recent security challenges in some States.
Vice-president of Tabital Pulaaku International, Nigeria chapter, Auwal Gonga, said the Buhari-led administration failed to address the many issues responsible for the increased cattle herders/farmers crisis because it refused to hold a stakeholders engagement.
The group assured the incoming administration in the state that we will cooperate with it in bringing lasting peace in the food basket of Nigeria.
Umar said the dastardly action of killing of herders must be stopped as those killed were on the age-old stock route that had been there for hundreds of years that enabled pastoralists movement from the Northern parts of Kebbi and Sokoto to the southern part of the country.
The coalition used the opportunity to call on the incoming administration Bola Ahmed Tinubu to change tactics, engage stakeholders and find a last solution to the lingering issues for national peace and co-existence.
