By KEMI KASUMU
Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Tuesday, cautioned against politicising the herdsmen and farmers clashes in the country.
He spoke just as a University don (names withheld) blamed herdsmen related crisis more on a combination of factors and warned that security approach may not be the better option to solution.
Speaking during a fact-finding visit to Udo, Ovia South-West Council, where he urged the council leadership to re-introduce the weekly stakeholders’ security meeting in the area, Governor Obaseki said made the warning while urging herders to identify the criminal elements among them in the interest of peace.
He stressed that his administration would not politicise security issues, noting that efforts were being made to resolve the issues to provide lasting security to communities in the state.
At the Palace of the Iyase of Udo, HRH Patrick Igbinidu, Obaseki said: “We are on a fact-finding tour to some parts of the state to access the security situation particularly as it relates to farmers and herders conflicts.
“As a government, we do not believe we should politicise security issues. It is important that we get the facts right and understand what exactly is going on. We had reports about the crisis or impending crisis on this axis.
“We have also had anxieties, but I will call them speculations on social media about herdsmen being pushed from neighbouring states into this area and the impending crisis.”
Obaseki, who traced the movement of nomadic herdsmen to climate change, appealed to Nigerians to seek ways of managing herders and farmers’ conflicts rather than politicising the issue.
Responding, leader of herdsmen in the area suggested an investigation of the killings and a database for genuine herders as part of measures to check criminal herders in the area.
Igbinidu, the Iyase of N’ Udo and former Chairman of Ovia North East Council, Joseph Amowie, briefed Governor Obaseki and heads of security agencies on the challenges of farmers and herders and steps so far taken to resolve the crisis.
On his part, Edo State Commissioner of Police, Philip Ogbadu, sued for peaceful co-existence among the locals and cautioned herders to streamline their operations towards ending abuses, as well as the destruction of livelihoods and economic crops.
Speaking on behalf of traditional leaders of Ovia South West, the Duke of Oke-Odighi, HRH Osaretin Akenzua and former Commissioner in Edo State, Monday Osaigbovo, appealed to the state government and security agencies to weed out killer herdsmen from the area.
He also called for the eviction of the criminal elements laying siege on Edo forests and profiling of herders who engage in a legitimate business.
Addressing the stakeholders, including market women and youth leaders, Governor Obaseki allayed their fears and assured them that his administration was committed to securing lives and livelihoods in the state.
In response to an opinion published in The DEFENDER on Tuesday titled, “Herdsmanism as a twist and tool of international conspiracies”, the University don, who is also a professor of history, described the new wave of crisis in the Southern bushes as caused by a combination of factors.
According to the article under a WAKE UP opinion column, The DEFENDER published that: “What is currently seen as cry of herdsmen killing is nothing but last resort by the international conspirators to use or hijack agelong herders/farmers clashes to sow the seed of discord and hatred among Nigerians seeing it as one other thing that will work for the achievement of their aims and objectives – to break Nigeria into pieces.”
Responding, Professor Adesina said: “Not necessarily. It is a combination of factors ranging from international conspiracies to the collapse of Fulani values (just like Yoruba and Ibo values collapsed some time ago), climate change, indiscipline and ultimately, general civilizational collapse. Just like President Buhari said a long time ago, we need a thorough sociological (and historical), strategic and political study of what is going on. But the government seems to favor the security approach. It will not work,” he said.
