…Govs. Forum clarifies Akeredolu’s eviction order
…Open, night-grazing, under-age herders banned in South-West
The Ondo State government and Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) have agreed to jointly wage a “war against criminality”.
Both sides reached the agreement during a stakeholders’ meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, yesterday.
Governors from the South-West and some of their counterparts from the North attended the meeting, which also had the Miyetti-Allah leaders in attendance.
The meeting, which was chaired by the NGF Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi, took place following the heated exchange between northern and southern stakeholders as a result of the vacation order Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, gave to herders operating illegally in the State’s forest reserves.
However, the NGF has said that there was no eviction order issued to herdsmen in Ondo State or any part of the South-West region.
Recall that the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, had said it was wrong for Akeredolu to blame the high level of insecurity in his State on herders.
But the spokesman of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, accused the presidency of defending herders rather than proferring solution to insecurity. Other groups also issued statements on the issue, which sparked tension in the country.
However, at yesterday’s meeting, Akeredolu said he was misconstrued on the directive to herders.
Also at the meeting, both parties agreed to ban night grazing and under-age herding in the South-West region.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting resolved that MACBAN is a peace-loving, law abiding organisation which does not habour or condone criminals and agreed that open, night-grazing should be banned henceforth and that under-age herding is inimical to security and hence be banned.
The stakeholders agreed that MACBAN should embrace and be committed to modern breeding process by creating grazing reserves and practice ranching to prevent cattle roaming about. The communique added that a standing committee comprising of farmers, MACBAN and the government should be set up in each State (where they don’t exist) to ensure synergy and result, harping on the need to create economic opportunities for people and reduce opportunities for criminalities in the country.
