Kano State governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has extended an invitation to Fulani herdsmen residing in Nigeria, specifically those in Benue and Taraba states to transfer their grazing operations and other activities to Kano State.

The governor hinted that, in exception of Fulani herdsmen residing in his state, the state still boasts of enough grazing grounds to accommodate over one million Fulani herdsmen.

Ganduje made the call on Sunday afternoon at Kadawa Village in Gaurun Mallam local government, while flagging off the 2017/2018 annual free vaccination exercise for over one million cattle.

The governor, who denounced the incessant clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers, said the deaths resulting as a result of the clashes are irritating. According to him, the clashes between Fulanis and farmers is unwarranted and unnecessary.

He said, “We are doing well in assisting herdsmen in Kano, I am inviting herdsmen from all parts of Nigeria to relocate to Kano because we have enough facilities to accommodate them. “For our Kano herdsmen, we have grazing facilities in Rogo, Gaya, Kiru, Tudun Wada, Ungogo and other reserved places where facilities are in place to accommodate the herdsmen and their cattle, which included, schools, livestock clinics, clean water supply and facilities to aid their commercial activities.”

He further said, “Falgore Game Reserve can take care of millions of herdsmen and their cattle in Nigeria. The place has been designed to contain schools, human and animal clinics, markets, recreational centres and other social amenities that can give the herdsmen enough comfort to take care of their animals and do their business without hindrance. “These killings must stop. We cannot afford to continue to witness these senseless killings in the name of Fulani herdsmen and farmers clash over lack of grazing land while we have a place like the Falgore Game Reserve underutilised.

“There is no longer fear of cattle rustling in Kano. Cattle rustling is now history because we fought the menace headlong. In Falgore right now, we have enough security there. Those rustlers have relocated elsewhere, while some of them who repented from their evil ways were given amnesty and rehabilitated.”

Ganduje disclosed that the state government initiated the enumeration of Fulani herdsmen and their cattle head to ascertain the number of herdsmen operating in the state. He asked Fulani herdsmen in Kano to shun the rumours being peddled that the enumeration is to assist the government to impose taxation to enhance revenue generation. He explained further that the registration exercise will enable the state government to provide adequate livestock health services and security.

The governor expressed his happiness over the peaceful relations between farmers and herdsmen in the state, adding that the reigning peace between the duo groups is as a result of the retention of traditional grazing paths that had existed over time.

He disclosed that, “A Cattle Intervention Centre has been established to address the challenges associated with rumination of herdsmen within Kano. Just recently, we sponsored the training of over 61 Fulanis who were sent to Turkey to learn artificial insemination. “They are back to Kano and they have been assigned to 29 local government areas. I must tell you that they are doing well in various places they have been assigned to do their job.”

In his speech, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, and Mineral Resources, Dr Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, applauded Governor Ganduje for initiating and investing hugely to accommodate herdsmen, thus averting the rampant clashes witnessed in other parts of the country.

Gawuna said that 150 youths dispatched to Leventis Agricultural School in Panda have graduated and are ready to proceed to their places of assignment in furtherance of efforts to boost agricultural production in the state. He said the state government has offered the youths take off grants in the total sum of N4 million (LEADERSHIP)

Update news