Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has lamented the wanton destruction of farmlands by herders operating in the state, warning that the state government will no longer tolerate the destruction of crops and farmlands.
Governor Oyebanji who decried that some farmlands heavily invested on by the government, particularly in Ikole local government area of the state are being destroyed by herders, called for the intervention of traditional rulers in the area.
He gave the warning in Ikole Ekiti during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the federal government and the Ekiti State Government to convert and upgrade the Ikole Ekiti Specialist Hospital into a Federal Medical Centre (FMC).
The governor also cleared air and allayed the fears of indigenes and people of Ikole Ekiti on the absence of their traditional ruler, the Elekole of Ikole Ekiti, Oba Adewumi Ajibade Fasiku from the throne, saying the monarch took permission from him that his whereabouts is known to him and he is hale and hearty.
Oyebanji, who stated that the herders will be provided with the place to keep and graze their herds, appealed to the traditional rulers seated to call them to order, threatening that the government will go after them if the situation continues.
According to the governor, “One thing that retards the development of this local government is insecurity. Now we have investors working in Oke-Ako, Iyemero. They have cleared lands. Regent you are aware of this. Our children have gone to plant crops and I heard now that the herders are troubling them.
“I am appealing to our traditional rulers to join hands with us. It will not be good for us to use a humongous amount of morning for farming purposes and to mobilise our children to farm on these lands and plant crops, at the point of reaping, some people will bring their cows to feast on the farms and destroy the crops planted. ‘’
