Ekiti State government has told herders and farmers in the state to register their activities with the state government or be ready to leave the state.
In a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Olabode Adetoyi, said the exercise was important in ensuring that all farmers and herders in the state could be accounted for.
Also, he said the registration was aimed at ensuring peace between the two groups and bringing incessant clashes between them to an end, noting that the exercise aligned with the National Livestock Transformation Programme of the Federal Government
Dr Adetoyi maintained that there was a need to take proactive measures to curb the dispute, saying the clashes between the farmers and herders posed dangers to human and food security.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the governor on security matters and Chairman, Herders-Farmers Peace Committee, retired Brig.-Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana warned that those who fail to register would be treated as a criminal and compelled to leave the state.
Meanwhile, Director-General, Office of Transformation and Service Delivery, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, confirmed that identity cards would be issued to registered farmers and herders free of charge.
