herders Archives - Naija Premium Gist

Ekiti govt warns farmers, herders to register activities or be expelled

March 21, 2021 No Comments

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.

Politics

Falana backs Akeredolu’s eviction notice to herders, says presidency jeopardising national security

January 25, 2021 No Comments

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has said that the order by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on unregistered herders to vacate Ondo forest was legal.

He accused the Presidency of mismanaging the crisis by rushing to the media to challenge the order, adding that the action of the Presidency polarised the people along ethnic lines to the detriment of national security.

In a statement he released on Sunday, Falana maintained that the order by Akeredolu was in line with Section 42 (1) (e) and (g) of the Forestry Law of Ondo State which stipulated that whoever in any forest reserve, except with the authority in writing of the prescribed officer, digs, cuts, turns or cultivates the soil or makes a farm or plantation; pastures cattle or permits cattle to trespass or trespasses in any part of forest reserves in which trespass shall be prohibited by an order of the governor.

Wondering why the Presidency failed to study the law carefully before condemning Akeredolu’s order Falana said:

“Without addressing the relevant provisions of the Forestry Law or reaching out to Governor Akeredolu, the Presidency rushed to the media to challenge the directive of the Ondo State Government as it might affect undocumented herders operating in the said forests.

Regrettably, such official mismanagement of the crisis has been allowed to polarise the people along ethnic lines to the detriment of national security.”

Meanwhile, Falana said “with respect to the brewing 4082 in Ondo State we call on Governor Akeredolu (SAN) to extend the seven-day ultimatum to allow all farmers and herders operating in the forest reserve to register with the state government without any delay.”

He added, “The Miyetti Allah and similar groups should ensure that all their members who have not registered with the state government do so without any further delay in the overall interest of the security of the people in the state.”

To address the issue of insecurity across the country, Falana urged President Muhammadu Buhari to summon a Nigeria Police Council meeting.

“As a matter of urgency, the Federal Government should mobilise adequate police and other security forces to halt the menace of kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, armed robbery and other violent crimes in the land,” he said.

Politics

Presidency abusing constitution, elevating Fulani herders above law –SMBLF

January 22, 2021 No Comments

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has frowned at the Presidency’s position on Ondo State government’s order for herders to vacate the state’s forest reserves.

In a statement on Thursday, SMBLF described the Presidency’s position on the quit notice order by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, as a “complete overreach and clear abuse of the constitution in a bid to elevate Fulani herders above the law.”

Akeredolu, in response to the rising insecurity in the state, had ordered herdsmen in Ondo forest reserves to vacate.

But the Presidency, in a statement by Garba Shehu, the President’s spokesman, kicked against the order.

In its statement signed by Yinka Odumakin (South West), Chief Guy Ikoku (South East), Senator Bassey Henshaw (South South) and Dr. Isuwa Dogo (Middle Belt), SMBLF called on the Federal Government to withdraw its unjust order against Ondo government enforcing the vacation order.

“We are supposed to be a Federal Republic and forest reserves in states are fully residual matter to which the Federal Government has no business with.

“The FG’s statement by Garba Shehu that the Governor of Ondo lacks the powers to decide on its reserves in spite of the Land Use Act that vests land in states in the governors was a complete overreach and clear abuse of the constitution in a bid to elevate Fulani herders above the law.

“It is a continuation of the obsessive attachment to Miyetti Allah, like the President instructing Governor Ortom to go and live peaceably with killers after Miyetti Allah killed 78 citizens of the state in January 2019, to prevent Ondo from holding its rights on its reserves in the face of persistent killings of its people by herders occupying the reserves illegally.

“No decent or responsible governor would allow what the FG wants for Fulani herdsmen. The SMBLF therefore asks the Federal Government to withdraw the unjust diktat and allow Ondo to enforce the law,” SMBLF statement read.