Herder/Farmer Conflict: Ganduje Engages Jega, 26 Others On Way Forward

Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has engaged former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, and other key stakeholders in the state to put an end to incessant herder-farmer conflict across Nigeria.

The governor appointed Jega to head a high-powered committee to organise a national conference to come up with a blueprint to address issues surrounding herder-farmers conflicts and come up with reforms in the livestock sector.

Speaking when he inaugurated the committee in Abuja on Thursday, Governor Ganduje regretted that deficient political leadership, public misperceptions about its purpose and growing insecurity hampered its progress of the 10-year national livestock transformation plan launched by the federal government.

He recalled that the plan was to curtail the movement of cattle, boost livestock production and control the country’s deadly herder-farmer conflict, “but inadequate political leadership, delays, funding uncertainties and a lack of expertise derail the project, while COVID-19 pandemic intensified the challenges.

The governor said the decision by the government to host a national conference on “Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts in Nigeria” underscores the recognition that the primary business of government is law and order.

“It is regrettable that deficient political leadership, popular misperceptions about its purpose and widespread insecurity hindered its progress,” he added.

Ganduje noted that the move by the federal government to establish the Ruga settlement, which was received out of misconception with a barrage of criticisms, resulted in the suspension of the project in which contracts had already been awarded.

The governor said his administration since inception has led the way and have been pioneering the initiation of development-oriented interventions at reformation of the livestock sector to mitigate farmer/herder conflicts by tackling the issue headlong.

“This include the adoption of far-reaching measures to deal with the situation and also proposed collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank to fashion out a resettlement scheme that will take into consideration the educational, socio-economic and security well-being of the nomads as well as the disturbing issue of cattle rustling, banditry and encroachment of grazing areas due to the high increase of our population.

“You may wish to know that until our intervention, activities of cattle rustlers such as rape, killings, abduction and banditry had paralyzed economic activities in communities particularly in Sumaila and Doguwa local government areas, which left a lot of cattle farmers in a state of despair.

“We started by mobilising security agencies and hence the formation of a Police Anti-Cattle Rustling Squad, Ambush Squad and Tactical Observation points along the Falgore Forest. The police teams were deployed to Tundun Wada, Doguwa and Sumaila local government areas of the state, and were given all the support they needed to arrest the rustlers and prevent further loss of cattle in the state.

In his response, Jega said he was worried about the politicisation of the farmers-herders conflict, assuring however that the outcome of the proposed national conference would proffer lasting solution to the issue.

The former vice chancellor of Bayero University Kano called on well meaning Nigerians to participate in the proposed conference which would form the basis for the government to address issues of stability and the socioeconomic growth of the country.

The Jega-led committee is tasked to “work towards planning and organising a befitting national conference on Farmers-Herders conflicts in Nigeria and to select appropriate theme for the conference, select chairman, paper presenters/speakers, panelists, special guest(s) of honour, guests of honour, other dignitaries and delegates for the conference, as well as appropriate date and venue for the event; the committee is to also provide adequate publicity before, ring and after the event, submit a report on the conference with observations and recommendations for appropriate action and examine the ECOWAS Protocol pertaining to the movement of cattle across member countries, of the sub-region.”

Some members of the 27-man committee are the pro-chancellor of Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Prof. Jibrila Dahiru Amin, former secretary to the Niger State government and professor of veterinary medicine, University of Ibadan; Prof. Muhammad Yahaya Kuta, the managing director, Guardian Newspapers limited, Mr. Martins Oloja, the executive secretary of the National Commission for Nomadic Education, Prof. Bashir Haruna Usman, the managing director of L&Z Integrated Farms Ltd, M. D. Abubakar, the chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria; Kabiru Ibrahim, former Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative in Nigeria Rabe Isah Mani, Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto; Prof. Aminu Ibrahim Daneji, Department of Sociology, Bayero University, Kano (BUK). Prof. Isma’ila Zango.

Kano State commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, will serve as secretary of the committee.