The Conscience of Yoruba Nation, an affiliate group of Afenifere, has rejected President Bola Tinubu’s proposal for the provision of grazing zones in the South West, to halt herders/ farmers crisis.

Recall that President Tinubu, recently called on the state governors in the country to provide land in their states for herders to graze on.

Tinubu, noted that if this is done, the frequent clashes between Herders and farmers will be a thing of the past and put a stop to frequent loss of lives and farm produce.

He said this at the flag off of the agricultural mechanization revolution for food security and commissioning of the remodelled domestic terminal of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport in Minna, Niger state.

But a statement issued by the convener of the group, Otunba Kole Omololu, in Akure, the Ondo state capital, said that the proposal ” appears to be a repeat of same ineffective strategies that have plagued the country since 1960s.

Omololu said that the group rejected the “recent instruction of our president of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to the state Governors to provide land for grazing to herders in attempt to curtail the incessant Farmer Herders Crisis that is ravaging the country.

“Members of COYN hereby reject this proposition of President Bola Tinubu on this subject.

“Grazing zones as a proposal to combat the farmers herders crisis has proved ineffective in the middle belt of the country.

“Benue state banned open grazing and provided ranches yet the crisis in Benue has continued.

“In Plataeu State and Nasarawa, lands were donated by the President Buhari administration but this did not stop the continued Farmers -Herders clashes.

“Southern Kaduna is another example of cases of failure of the grazing reserves: they have the longest record since the 1960 grazing reserve act where the former Northern region let the herders lease land for grazing, the reserve land subsequently becoming disputed land, leading to further conflicts till today and continued killings in the region.

“We are also dismayed that the President did not recommend any investigation into the offending herders who are interfering with agricultural practices in affected regions such as the South West of Nigeria.

“As the chief law enforcement officer of the country, we urge the president to look into farm security initiatives for farmers whose lives are endangered everyday by herders who are often armed and has been confrontational in their encounters with farmers, leading to their murdering of many farmers in cold blood.

“We propose that the president set up a committee to investigate the causes of the incessant farmers -herders crisis and why existing remedies in other regions of the country with adequate land mass for ranching has failed.

“Mandating State Governors to give land as grazing zone appears to be a repeat of same ineffective strategies that have plagued the country since 1960s.

“We urge the State Governments of the Southwest to double their efforts in Animal husbandry to meet the demands of the citizens.

“COYN continues to believe in the unity of Nigeria under a federal system based on equity and fairness.

Omololu said that “We also believe in the capacity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to solve the problems be-devilling Nigeria. (New Telegraph)

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