Audu Ogbeh, former Minister of Agriculture and National Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) says he does not see any reason to object to the decision taken by the Southern governors to ban open grazing in their states.
In a statement issued on Monday, ACF chieftain noted that the recent crisis emanated from the belief that the herders enter a farm eat up the crops and sometimes kill and rape victims, saying no society will accept this. According to him, the prices of food are on the increase as a result of the current crisis, so the decision to ban open grazing is timely.
But he was quick to add that banning open grazing will not end the crisis because the violent herders from the other African countries are mostly responsible for the crisis. “There is, however, the need to advise the governors in all states not to think that merely banning open grazing will end the crisis,” he said.
He, therefore, suggested that amending article 3 of the ECOWAS protocol which will allow only herders with permits into a country. “The bulk of the violent herders are the ones marching in from neighbouring African countries in large numbers, thousands at a time and showing no regards to boundaries whether State or regional,” he said.
Ogbeh urged Northern governors to immediately look into the viability of developing ranches for lease to Nigerian herders so that this matter can be brought to an end. “Hurling abuses, trading suspicion and threatening warfare as is currently the trend will only produce grief and disaster, he said.