Supporting anti-grazing law with ranches will end killings in Nigeria if, says Canada-based BACN

*Educate your followers about govt’s decision not condemn it, Monarchs, Clerics warned

By Bashir Adefaka

“While we will agree that it is the public resources that will be used by the government to build ranches for Fulani herdsmen, we also believe since Fulani herdsmen are Nigerians, it is the responsibility of the government to assist and protect their business. Also, using public resources to provide ranches for Fulani herdsmen is to prevent barbaric and unnecessary unrest and loss of lives in the country which is more important than building ranches.”

The Ontario, Canada-based Battles Against Corruption in Nigeria Group (BACN) has thrown its weight behind the plan of government to build ranches in parts of the country with a view to stopping the age-long clashes between herders and farmers.

President of the Group, Mr. Waheed Seriki, who stated this in a message to The DEFENDER on Monday, said if the killings that the Nigeria had witnessed in recent times, at a time the nation should be celebrating the defeat by the Muhammadu Buhari Administration of Boko Haram, were actually caused by cow eating farmers crops or farmers killing herders’ cows, that the building of ranches as planned by the Federal Government will bring an end to the killings.

The anti-corruption group largely populated by Nigerians in the Diaspora was speaking just as the Nigeria’s Presidency and some members of the nation’s National Assembly have come out with certainty that the recent killings particularly in North Central states of Benue, Taraba and Plateau were the handiworks of “irresponsible” politicians.

The no-nonsense leader of the Canada-based group working for the love of Nigeria, Waheed Seriki, said in the message that, “Nigerians most especially the religious leaders and politicians should support the government’s idea of building ranches in Nigeria as an alternative to animal grazing that is causing unrest and loss of lives in the country.

“The leaders should create awareness among their followers on advantages of the government’s plan of building ranches in the country, rather than them condemning the decision and adding to already tensed atmosphere in the country.

“The creation of ranches will eradicate barbaric killing and opportunist advantage of using Fulani herdsmen name to perpetuate massacre in the country, if it is backed by the law from the National Assembly that will make animal grazing criminal offence after the ranches have been build in chosen places.

“The governors should create animal farms in their respective states, so that planting and rearing of animals can be restricted to their respective points of stay without one disturbing the development of the other since both animal and crop farms are most important for the sustainable healthy living of any humanity.

“Whoever violates the anti-grazing law at that point must be punished accordingly irrespective of the tribe or ethnic side the person belongs after the designated area has been established for animal rearing.

“While we will agree that it is the public resources that will be used by the government to build ranches for Fulani herdsmen, we also believe since Fulani herdsmen are Nigerians, it is the responsibility of the government to assist and protect their business. Also, using public resources to provide ranches for Fulani herdsmen is to prevent barbaric and unnecessary unrest and loss of lives in the country which is more important than building ranches.

“Nigeria cannot continue to lose the lives of their innocent citizens, most especially the youth who are going to be future leaders. If the establishment of ranching will be the solution to the sporadic killings and exposure of those who are really behind the killings, we see no reason why the government’s plan to create ranches will not be a welcome idea to Nigerians.

“Nigerian leaders, both political and religious, should realise that human life is more important than partisan politics, tribal sentiment or religious discrimination. That is the reason they needs to support the government’s proposal of creating ranches and after, Nigerians will force the National Assembly to pass a bill that will prohibit animal grazing all over the country.

“The religious and traditional leaders have a lot to do to end the unnecessary and barbaric killings going on in Nigeria by selling the idea of government’s building ranches, backed with law prohibiting animal grazing to their followers, if they really love their followers and they are really serving God with honesty.

“Even in developed countries, they are only able to curb animal grazing in their country by encouraging and allowing the creation of ranches in their societies.

“Ranching idea will enable the government to see the true pictures of what is causing killings in the country away from the mischievous tag of ‘herdsmen’ and who those behind the unrest and killings of innocent citizens are.

“It is clear from recent revelations and sophisticated equipment using to perpetrate the recent unrest and killings in the country that politicians are taking the advantage of the twisted issues of farmers/herders clashes to cause unrest and destabilize the country simply for political gains and to discredit President Buhari’s administration.”