Lawyers, Miyetti Allah Divided Over Open Grazing Ban

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The decision by the National Economic Council (NEC) of
the federal government to place a ban on open grazing and free
movement of herders and their flocks from the north to south of the
country has elicited various reactions from Nigerians.

Some lawyers have applauded the federal government for the step
taken, saying it was long overdue.

Abdulrahman Anofiu, a Abuja- based lawyer, said it is a step the
government should have taken long before now.

According to him, “It is better late than never. I think it is
the way to go and the support of every Nigerian is needed to end
the killings”.

Another lawyer‎, Ehirim Matthew, said any step that will halt
the killing was welcome.

“I think every reasonable Nigerian should join hands with the
government to ensure that normalcy returns to the troubled areas.
We should stop playing politics with the lives of Nigerians,” he
said.

Garba Busari, on his part, blamed the government for allowing
the people of Benue to be pushed to the wall before taking steps
“but like the saying goes, it is better late than never.

“We can’t continue this way. Something very urgent should be
done to bring an end to the killings in this country, not just in
Benue State”

On its part, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Associate
(MACBAN) said the body was not against anything that would bring an
end to the crisis so long as the interest of the pastoralists was
considered.

National secretary of the group, Baba Usman, told our
correspondent on phone that “we are not opposed to anything that
will bring peace in the country.”

“The crisis is worrisome to everybody. The pastoralists and the
farmers are also not at peace with the way things are going. The
crisis has become a national security problem and everybody must
agree to measures taken by the federal government for the sake of
peace.

“Pastoralists only need water and grass and once that is
provided, the pastoralists will not want to be moving around. We
don’t have issues so long as the policy will take into cognisance
the peculiarities of the pastoralists,” he said.

Also speaking, the Southern Kaduna Indigenous Progressive Forum
(SKPIFo) expressed displeasure at the conclusion by governments to
purchase large swaths of land for the exclusive settlement of
Fulani herdsmen in the name of ranching.

Its spokesman, Luka Binniyat, said: “We believe that the
so-called new “ranches” are the same with “cattle colonies” “and
grazing reserves” because it still amounts to grabbing scarce land
resources of farmers and handing them over to pastoralists to own
as their own new found lands.”

“We kick against this. After so many massacres of our people and
destruction of our communities by such herdsmen, they cannot be
rewarded or placated with the lands of their victims.

“This does not bode well for peace and security and peace of the
neighbouring villages to the grazing reserves as exemplified in an
already existing grazing reserve in Southern Kaduna.

“Let it be on record that SKIPFo encourages and promotes
pluralistic southern Kaduna with Fulani as important stakeholders.
We, therefore, call on the states and federal government to create
avenues for genuine and sustainable reconciliation of all estranged
Fulani from all our communities.

“If, then the Fulani want to buy lands from their host
communities to create ranches, it will be through negotiated
agreement, not forced acquisitions. We believe that living together
side by side with trust and faith in each other will lead to
sustained peace and development.

“We, however, support government’s determination to review its
commitment to the ECOWAS protocol on free movement, as a means of
stopping the influx of unwanted persons into Nigeria,” he said.

The national secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders
Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Baba Ngelzarma, has given
assurance that their members would always support any decision
towards ending the persistent farmers/herders clashes, saying they
were at the receiving end of the crisis.

However, the Nasarawa State chapter of MACBAN has rejected the
proposed ban on open grazing by the federal government.
In an interview with our correspondent, the Nasarawa State MACBAN
chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Hussaini, said the ban was
wrong-timed.

Hussaini contended that the decision by the federal government
was too hash on the herdsmen, as he urged government to make proper
arrangements before enforcing the ban.

Meanwhile, the member representing Gwer East/Gwer West federal
constituency of Benue State, Hon Gbillah Mark Terseer, has said
that his constituents would reject the ban of open grazing by the
National Executive Council (NEC) if neighbouring Nasarawa State is
not included in the list.

Recalls that the National Economic Council (NEC), headed the
vice president and comprising the 36 state governors, had on
Thursday announced a ban on the movement of cattle in five states
of Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna and Plateau.

While reacting to this decision, Gbillah said that the NEC could
not by a fiat ban open grazing, adding that affected states must be
allowed to enact a legislation to give it the force of law.

“Nigeria is a country governed by laws. The NEC cannot just ban
grazing in states by a fiat. The states concerned would have to
enact legislation. So all the state governors, including Governor
Lalong who has made some discouraging statements about the anti
open grazing law signed by Governor Ortom, will have to send an
executive bill to the state houses of assembly,” he stated.

The lawmaker, who alleged that the killer herdsmen camped in
Nasarawa State and launched coordinated attacks on other
communities, said such a strategic location should not be
ignored.