Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has described as false the report that the Federal Government is planning to establish Grazing Reserves for Fulani Herdsmen across the country.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, who spoke in Abia State during a one-day working visit, said that the Federal Government, under President Muhammadu Buhari, will establish grazing reserves and ranches only in the North.
He stressed that no grazing reserve will be established in the South-East or anywhere in the South.
His words: “I am a Fulani man from Sokoto, and I have cattle. I know that it is better for me to rear and keep my herds in one place and provide good grass for them.
“Talking about South-East and northern Nigeria relationship, this issue of herdsmen that has been coming up recently, I believe Federal Government is coming up with a measured response of ensuring that we have grazing reserves, particularly, with emphasis, in nNorthern Nigeria, in states where they originate from, so that they can remain within their neighborhood, within their families and cater for their castles in a much more better way, much more organized way and much more economically viable system.
“By having a grazing reserve in Sokoto State for instance, all herdsmen and herd farmers in Sokoto can graze within Sokoto State environment without moving their herds out.
“We in the northern states in particularly have embraced this very proactive measure of establishing grazing reserves in the north so that the herdsmen and their herds can remain at home, in their environment. That will give us better meat, better milk and for the people of Sokoto and Aba leather for making shoes and other leather works.” Tambuwal said.
It will be recalled that the Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, recently said that any plan to establish grazing reserves for Fulani herdsmen will be frustrated in the South-East because there are no land space in the zone for such.
His words: “We don’t need grazing reserves in the South-East, because we don’t have land space for it. There are enough land in the North, so let the establishment of grazing reserves be in the North.”
Meanwhile, Tambuwal, who was in Abia to commission some projects executed by Ikpeazu, praised his colleague for what he described as giant strides in the face of paucity of funds.
His words: “My dear brother, I can’t thank you enough for the recognition and honour of inviting me to come here to Abia State to commission projects executed by your administration.
“I must commend you for the giant strides in the midst of paucity and none availability of fund. You’ve been able to execute the projects that you found me worthy to come and commission.”
Tambuwal, who said that he has had a long standing relationship with the good people of Abia State, commended Ikpeazu for his leadership which he said has been able to sustain peaceful Abia State, while praying that peace shall never depart Abia State, even as it shall permeate the entity of the rest part of Nigeria.
His words: “Without peace, we cannot have development and we cannot have progress. Let me, therefore, use the advantage of this platform to call on all Nigerians to continue to embrace peace and peaceful ways of conveying grievances that they have.
“Taking up arms against your state, or against your fellow brothers will not help matters it will rather worsen situations. I call on every Nigerian who is involved in any form of violence to please embrace peace and approach government at various levels on whatever grievance that anybody is having.
“I believe that all of us, from Mr. President down to council chairman, elected by the people, we are here to listen to our people. Be rest assured that we up North are very much interested in what is happening around here and all over the country,” he said.
Speaking on the killing of a Christian woman from Imo State in Kano State, Tambuwal said: “We are saddened by the development in Kano State, where one of our leaders and mothers, Mrs. Bridget Agbaheme, was murdered.
“I convey condolences of people of Sokoto State to her family, and all Nigerians. I condemn the way and manner her life was taken unjustly. I said unjustly because she was never sentenced by any court of law. It was an act of a gang mob hiding under the guise of religion.
“As a Muslim from Sokoto State, I assure you that such act was unislamic. The religion of Islam is a religion of peace. Islam itself as a word means peace.
“We are also saddened by the attack meted against one young boy (Francis Emmanuel) by his stepmother in Kano State. We are not happy with these developments.”
While in Abia, Tambuwal commissioned five roads executed by Ikpeazu in Aba.
The roads include Ehere Road, Umule Road, Umuehilegbu (Tonimas) Road, Umuocham Road and Umuojima Road.
However, Umuojima Road has been renamed after a three time Deputy Governor of the State, the late Dr. Chima Nwafor.
The late Nwafor, a renowned surgeon, was deputy to the first civilian governor of the state, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, from 1992 to 1993.
He was later appointed deputy governor under former Governor, Orji Uzo Kalu, in 2002 to complete Orji Kalu and Enyinnaya Abaribe tenure, when Abaribe resigned.
In 2003, Nwafor was elected as Deputy Governor to Kalu during the second tenure of Orji Kalu, but died in office before the end of the tenure.
Nwafor was a native of Umuojima village in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area.
Ikpeazu, who later flagged off the MCC-Samek road for construction, also commissioned five garbage compactors procured for the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) also commissioned the relaunched Abia State Taxi Scheme.
