No regrets whatsoever - Wike
The House of Representatives which is an equal organ of the Government has thrown its weight behind the establishment of cattle ranches across the country, as panacea to clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
The House adopted a motion on the need to educate herdsmen on the benefits of ranching, specifically opted for the establishment of cattle ranches across the country.
Consequently, the Green Chamber urged the Executive to liaise with interested states and work out modalities of establishment of ranches.
The House also directed the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources to liaise with state Ministries of Agriculture to urgently educate and encourage herdsmen on the benefits of ranching.
The chamber urged government to consider a soft loan scheme for herders, to enable them buy land as incentive to embrace ranching.
The House mandated its Committee on Agriculture Production and Services to ensure implementation of the resolution and report back within eight weeks, for further legislative action.
In his lead debate, sponsor of the motion, Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo said most of the clashes between herdsmen and farmers across the country were fallout of the herders roaming about in search of pastures for their cattle and in the process trespassing into farmlands and damaging crops.
Onawo said the incessant clashes between herdsmen/ farmers across the country has presented serious security challenges for the nation. Besides, the lawmaker argued that open grazing also exposes the herdsmen to dangers, as they sometimes fall prey to cattle rustlers and kidnappers.
He contended that the decision of the government to set up cattle colonies across the country as a measure to stop herdsmen/ farmers clash is a “violation of Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the Land Use Act.”
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, declared that he would not apologise to anyone for rejecting cattle colony in the state.
Wike stated this yesterday, during a solidarity rally organised by Rivers East senatorial district, at Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt.
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