Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has drawn stakeholders’ attention to the continuous shrinking of cattle routes in various parts of the country.
It said the development had frustrated herders’ movements to search for pasture for their cattle.
The movement of herds of cattle into farms has led to clashes between herders and farmers. As motorists and cattle race for space on several highways, road accidents have occurred.
The national president of MACBAN, Baba-Othman Ngelzarma, addressed members of the association and the new executives in Bauchi and lamented that Fulani, especially cattle breeders, have been given bad names in the country because of their operations.
Ngelzarma said the only way out for them is to be well-educated to defend the race.
The president said due to modernisation and development, the cattle routes and grazing forests have been taken over, leaving the Fulani with little or no place to graze their cattle.
He said the government needs to intervene in the crisis and ensure that Fulani cattle breeders can access grazing forests nationwide to minimise the herders/farmers clashes.
“It is time for us to embrace education and enrol our children in schools so that they will get an education and become our leaders in the future. Education is the key to development,” he said.
In his speech, Mohammed Kabir, the new chairman of the association in Bauchi, commended the members for their confidence in him and assured them that they would offer purposeful leadership.
He stressed the need for unity among the MACBAN members in the state to achieve the association’s set objectives and called for constructive criticism and positive advice.
Mohammed Kabir assured that his leadership will engage all relevant stakeholders in the state to see that ethnic profiling against the Fulani is stopped, saying that education of the children will be the main priority of his leadership.
