Ban On Open Grazing Will Benefit Herders — Gov. Akeredolu

The Governor of O do State, Rotimi Akeredolu on Wednesday said
that the ban on open grazing will benefits the Fulani herdsmen in
the areas of health, children’s education and livestock
development.

Akeredolu who stated this while featuring on Channels Television
said that most of the states have passed laws on open grazing and
it was very clear that all of them agreed that open grazing must
stop because it has caused a lot of problem, particularly between
the herders and the farmers.

Recall that the Governors of the Southern States issued a
communique in a meeting held yesterday to foster the ban of open
grazing in their states.

Speaking on the programme, Akeredolu said, “Things have changed
and we must adopt a modern system of animal husbandry. At the
meeting we referred to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State,
who is also against open grazing. The herders do not benefit from
open grazing because there is no development.

“Their children are not going to school, their stocks are in
danger. If we love those involved in animal husbandry in this
country, then there must be a change, which is why we said that the
Federal Government must deliberately assist the herders.”

Speaking further, Akeredolu said that in any state that is
prepared to engage in ranching, the federal government should
provide money for ranches so that the herders would adopt the
modern method of animal husbandry.

“The animals will develop better and people who are interested
in the stock will come and buy from them. Lagos State consumes over
sixty percent of cows in this country. They can keep the cows in
Kano, Kaduna where they have enough land and those who need the
cows can go there to buy.

“It is the reason we agreed that states which want to have
ranches should be supported. Our initial agreement was that federal
government should give five million Naira to states that want to
create ranches,” he said

While responding to the issue of the government supporting
private business, Akeredolu said that it is optional for any state
who wants to create ranches but if they do, the federal government
should support it as part of the intervention programme of the
government.

He stressed that five million is small for the federal
government to support a cause that will create peace in the
country.

Akeredolu added “It is in the light of the crisis that this
programme has generated that we think the federal government should
be involved.

“We know that when the issue of ranching came up initially and
the federal government demanded that states provided land, open
state livestock transformation office, unfortunately along the line
the Minister of Agriculture hijacked it, came up with RUGA, people
reacted and saw it as an attempt to give land to Fulanis and
herders.

“The concept of the National Livestock Transformation Programme
is different.”

The Governor of O do State, Rotimi Akeredolu on Wednesday said
that the ban on open grazing will benefits the Fulani herdsmen in
the areas of health, children’s education and livestock
development.

Akeredolu who stated this while featuring on Channels Television
said that most of the states have passed laws on open grazing and
it was very clear that all of them agreed that open grazing must
stop because it has caused a lot of problem, particularly between
the herders and the farmers.

Recall that the Governors of the Southern States issued a
communique in a meeting held yesterday to foster the ban of open
grazing in their states.

Speaking on the programme, Akeredolu said, “Things have changed
and we must adopt a modern system of animal husbandry. At the
meeting we referred to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State,
who is also against open grazing. The herders do not benefit from
open grazing because there is no development.

“Their children are not going to school, their stocks are in
danger. If we love those involved in animal husbandry in this
country, then there must be a change, which is why we said that the
Federal Government must deliberately assist the herders.”

Speaking further, Akeredolu said that in any state that is
prepared to engage in ranching, the federal government should
provide money for ranches so that the herders would adopt the
modern method of animal husbandry.

“The animals will develop better and people who are interested
in the stock will come and buy from them. Lagos State consumes over
sixty percent of cows in this country. They can keep the cows in
Kano, Kaduna where they have enough land and those who need the
cows can go there to buy.

“It is the reason we agreed that states which want to have
ranches should be supported. Our initial agreement was that federal
government should give five million Naira to states that want to
create ranches,” he said

While responding to the issue of the government supporting
private business, Akeredolu said that it is optional for any state
who wants to create ranches but if they do, the federal government
should support it as part of the intervention programme of the
government.

He stressed that five million is small for the federal
government to support a cause that will create peace in the
country.

Akeredolu added “It is in the light of the crisis that this
programme has generated that we think the federal government should
be involved.

“We know that when the issue of ranching came up initially and
the federal government demanded that states provided land, open
state livestock transformation office, unfortunately along the line
the Minister of Agriculture hijacked it, came up with RUGA, people
reacted and saw it as an attempt to give land to Fulanis and
herders.

“The concept of the National Livestock Transformation Programme
is different.”