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FG Claims its Solution to Open Grazing Better Than Southern Governors’

FG Claims its Solution to Open Grazing Better Than Southern Governors’

The federal government on Monday said it has better solution to open grazing than what was contained in the Asaba Declaration of Southern governors.

President Buhari’s media aide, Garba Shehu saisd in a statement titled, ‘President Buhari okays deep rooted solutions to herdsmen attacks, clears way for ranching and revival of forest reserves’ that the southern governors’ recent resolutions was just “acts of politicking intended by its signatories to demonstrate power”, and questioned its constitutionality the same way the attorney general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, did.

According to him, “President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed a strong resolve to address the conflicts of herders and farmers in a sustained and lasting manner that should lead to the emergence of a permanent solution to the frequent clashes between them, as well as the associated problem of the gun-wielding ‘killer herdsmen.’

“The President had approved a number of specific measures to bring a permanent end to the frequent skirmishes as recommended by Alhaji Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture; in a report he submitted and the President signed off on it back in April, well before the actions of the Southern Governors Forum which attempts to place a ban on open grazing and other acts of politicking intended by its signatories to demonstrate their powers.

“It is very clear that there was no solution offered from their resolutions to the herder-farmer clashes that have been continuing in our country for generations.

Garba Shehu, FG, Solution, Open Grazing, Asaba Declaration, Garba Shehu, Rotimi Akeredolu, Ifeanyi Okowa
Garba Shehu said southern governors were just interested in demonstrating powers

“But the citizens of the southern states – indeed citizens of all states of Nigeria – have a right to expect their elected leaders and representatives to find answers to challenges of governance and rights, and not to wash their hands off hard choices by, instead, issuing bans that say: ‘not in my state.’”

He added, “It is equally true that their announcement is of questionable legality, given the constitutional right of all Nigerians to enjoy the same rights and freedoms within every one of our 36 states (and FCT)-regardless of the state of their birth or residence.

“Fortunately, this declaration has been pre-empted, for whatever it is intended to achieve and Mr President, who has rightly been worried about these problems more than any other citizen in consultation with farmers and herders alike, commissioned and approved an actionable plan of rehabilitating grazing reserves in the states, starting with those that are truly committed to the solution and compliant with stated requirements.

“With veterinary clinics, water points for animals, and facilities for herders and their families including schooling – through these rehabilitated reserves, the Federal Government is making far-reaching and practical changes allowing for different communities to co-exist side-by-side: supporting farmers to till their fields, herders to rear their livestock and Nigerians everywhere to be safe.

“The entire country is acutely aware of the strain the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on public finances, for both federal and state governments.

“Still, given the pressing urgency of addressing the perennial challenges, the federal funding for the project that has been delayed is now being partly unlocked.”

He added that work would begin on the modern reserve system in a few of the consenting states by June 2021.

Rotimi Akeredolu, Abubakar Malami
Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu (right) had questioned the attorney-general of the federation’s (AGF) capacity to distill legal issues.
Ifeanyi Okowa, FG, Solution, Open Grazing, Asaba Declaration, Garba Shehu, Rotimi Akeredolu, Ifeanyi Okowa
Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, said there was nothing wrong in demonstrating powers

Delta State governor and Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum,  Ifeanyi Okowa, however reacted that there was nothing was wrong in the southern governors demonstrating their executive powers.

The Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu had earlier faulted the AGF and questioned his capacity to understand constitutional issues.

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