Rehabilitation of Nigeria’s grazing reserves begins in June – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday the rehabilitation of the country’s grazing reserves would begin in June.

The President, who disclosed this in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the rehabilitation of the grazing reserves would check frequent farmers/herdsmen clashes in the country.

The President’s approval for the rehabilitation of the grazing reserves came just two weeks after the Southern Governors’ Forum banned open grazing and movement of cattle in the region.

The governor had in a meeting held in Asaba, Delta State, on May 11 banned open grazing in the region.

They also demanded the devolution of power to the federating units and state police.

But Buhari insisted that the governors’ decision was illegal.

He stressed that the resolution offered no solution to the crisis.

The statement read: “The President had approved a number of specific measures to bring a permanent end to the frequent skirmishes as recommended by the Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Sabo Nanno, in a report he submitted and the President signed off on it back in April well before the actions of the Southern Governors’ Forum which attempts to place a ban on open grazing and other acts of politicking intended by its signatories to demonstrate their power.

“It is very clear that there was no solution offered from their resolutions to the herder-farmer clashes that have been continuing in our country for generations.

“But the citizens of the southern states – indeed citizens of all states of Nigeria – have a right to expect their elected leaders and representatives to find answers to challenges of governance and rights, and not to wash their hands off hard choices by, instead, issuing bans that say: ‘not in my state.’

READ ALSO: Governors’ ban on open grazing illegal – Buhari

“It is equally true that their announcement is of questionable legality, given the constitutional right of all Nigerians to enjoy the same rights and freedoms within every one of our 36 states (and FCT) -regardless of the state of their birth or residence.

“Fortunately, this declaration has been preempted, for whatever it is intended to achieve and Mr. President, who has rightly been worried about these problems more than any other citizen in consultation with farmers and herders alike, commissioned and approved an actionable plan of rehabilitating grazing reserves in the states, starting with those that are truly committed to the solution and compliant with stated requirements.

“With veterinary clinics, water points for animals, and facilities for herders and their families including schooling – through these rehabilitated reserves, the Federal Government is making far-reaching and practical changes allowing for different communities to co-exist side-by-side: supporting farmers to till their fields, herders to rear their livestock, and Nigerians everywhere to be safe.

“The entire country is acutely aware of the strain the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on public finances, for both Federal and States. Still, given the pressing urgency of addressing the perennial challenges, the federal funding for the project that has been delayed is now being partly unlocked. Actual work for the full actualization of the modern reserve system in a few of the consenting states should take off in June.”

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