Emir of Ilorin, Dogara: Herdsmen/farmers’ clashes may disintegrate Nigeria; Ogbeh rejects grazing routes

The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, has warned the Federal Government on the implication of the activities of herdsmen across the country, saying their frequent clashes with farmers may led to Nigeria’s disintegration.
Speaking when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo paid homage to him in his palace in llorin on Tuesday, the monarch said that the government should be more serious in dealing with the incessant security issue.
The royal father said “if the government does not intervene now, we may have a situation deadlier than Boko Haram on our hands”.
The Emir insisted that the herdsmen were not Nigerians, rather, they are migrating herdsmen from other parts of Africa.
“People get it wrong when they describe the rampaging and destructive herdsmen as Fulani herdsmen. They are not Fulani. They are wandering and migrating tribe of people going everywhere. They are here to destroy Nigeria’s entity. So, it behooves on the federal government to be more serious on the issue so that it doesn’t become another Boko Haram on our hands”, he said.
The monarch, who thanked God for the victory that brought the All Progressives Congress (APC) into power and the achievements recorded by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, told the vice president that much was still being expected from the administration by the people.
“People believe you are up to the task. And the prayer is that you should perform to people’s expectation to save Nigeria and its people from socio-economic problems bedevilling the country”, he said.
In Abuja, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, stressed the urgent need “for a deliberate and proactive actions to end the incessant farmers and herdsmen clashes spreading across the country”, noting that if not properly checked, the clashes could divide Nigeria.
Also, the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, cautioned against creating grazing routes for the nomads as this cannot solve the incessant clashes between them and farmers in various states.
Dogara noted this at the opening of a public hearing on the motion on the ‘urgent need to address the incessant clashes involving herdsmen, farmers and their host communities in Nigeria’ and introduction of micro irrigation (drip irrigation) for farmers in Gombi/Hong Federal Constituency in Adamawa State and in other parts of Nigeria’, held by the House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services.
Dogara, who was represented by Onyema Chukwuka, assured urged the Committee and stakeholders to make appropriate recommendations that will “go a long way in guiding the House in the enactment of appropriate legislation that will guarantee peaceful co-existence amongst the rural communities, provide affordable credit to Nigerian farmers, enable the farmer to procure fertilizer and other farm inputs with minimum effort, provide enabling environment for all season farming, ensure increased agricultural production both as a means of guaranteeing internal food security and diversifying the economy from over dependence on oil, amongst many other prospects.”
Ogbeh, who expressed concern over criticism trailing proposed importation of grasses for cattle, especially on social media, warned that the challenge may boomerang if no concrete action is taken in checkmating the menace.
He said: “I hear there is a bill in the Senate seeking to create grazing routes, where are they grazing to, to another man’s farm”.
“Creating grazing routes is not the solution as it is known worldwide that cows kept in ranches produce better than grazing cows”.
According to him, 12 out of the 36 states contacted by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have already confirmed readiness to partner on the grazing and irrigation initiatives, adding that nine states have agreed to provide 5,000 hectares of land each for the project.