Benue Govt Lampoon Dan Ali Over Statement On Anti-Open Grazing Law
Loading ...From Msughshima Andrew, Makurdi
Benue State Government, today, lampooned the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali over statements he made concerning Benue’s Open Grazing Prohibition Law, describing as unjustified his call to repeal it.
The State Governor, Samuel Ortom in a conference with newsmen in Makurdi, called the Minister to, as a matter of urgency, withdraw his highly offensive statement against Benue State and the victims of herdsmen killings in the State.
Represented by the Commissioner For Information in the state, Mr Lawrence Onoja jnr. the Governor was reacting to statements credited to the Minister For Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, on the 5th of May, 2017 at the State House after a security meeting at the Presidency.
In the widely reported statement, Mansur Dan-Ali had suggested the suspension of the Anti-Open Grazing Law in States like Benue where the law is operational.
He had rather called for the negotiation of safe cattle routes for the herders.
Onoja who insisted he must withdraw the offensive statement stated that over 500 Benue indigenes have so far lost their lives to herdsmen invasion of parts of the State since January 2018.
“We view this latest statement as only serving to embolden these herdsmen militia to unleash more attacks on Benue as the various Miyetti Allah groups have used the anti-open grazing law to invade Benue and lay false claim on the ancestral land of the Benue people.
The Minister’s statement listed several other states including Kaduna and Zamfara where armed Fulani herdsmen militia have continuously carried out genocide.
But Onoja noted that these two States do not have laws banning open grazing yet they have not been spared, just like Adamawa, Plateau, Kogi and Nasarawa where there are no such laws.
He recalled that several Fulani groups have come out to declare that the issue at stake is not open grazing but conquest and occupation.
“Indeed, the scorched earth manner of the attacks by herdsmen militia whose name has been unwittingly changed to armed bandits indicate that the stake could be anything but open grazing.”
He cautioned that this is the second time the Defence Minister would abdicate the responsibilities of his office as defender of Nigeria’s territorial integrity and descend so low to become champion of Fulani herdsmen’s interest.
He said his statement justified incessant herdsmen unprovoked attacks on the so called blockade of cattle roots and grazing reserves adding that the minister spoke as if this is a justifiable reason for Fulani militia to take the law into their hands.
“By his call, Dan Ali has restated his partisanship and support for Fulani conquest and occupation of the Benue Valley and other fertile lands in the country.
“We want Nigerians and the international community to compel the Hon. Minister to quickly prove to the Benue people that he has no personal scores to settle in this crisis or is playing the script of some unknown people. We would like him to respond to the following questions in the interest of fairness, justice and equity.
“Is the State House of Assembly of a State in Nigeria constitutionally empowered to make laws for the promotion of peace, development and welfare of the people in the State?
“How come Mansur Dan-Ali is calling for the negotiation of safe cattle routes for the herders without a single mention of farmers who have been violently dislodged from their homes and farms?
“Who would take the responsibility of taking care of the needs of these farmers who have lost their means of livelihood with their farms and crops destroyed by herdsmen militia armed with dangerous weapons?
“Who would avert the looming famine in Benue state on account of this mindless destructions of lives and farming communities?
“Why has the Minister of Defence not made a single reference to the plight of the 180,000 Benue indigenes taking refuge in eight IDPs camps in Benue?”, he queried insisting that those being killed are also Nigerians who deserve to have a sense of belonging in Nigeria.
“Is the Hon. Minister of Defence speaking for himself or on behalf of the Federal Government because his latest outbursts is completely at variance with the position taken by the National Economic Council on ranching headed by His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President.
While recalled that NEC, Northern Governors’ Forum and the Ministry of Agriculture are in support of ranching of livestock as the best form of animal husbandry, Onoha urged the Minister to clarify on whose side he is in these herdsmen crisis in Benue and other States.
“The Benue state government headed by Governor Samuel Ortom would not relent on working within peaceful means in line with the rule of law to restore peace. We call on the Benue people to remain calm, vigilant and continue to report suspicious movements to the security agencies.
“We wish to reiterate that Nigeria’s Constitution empowers states to make laws for there good governance and the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017 was made in this regard.
“The Ranching Law is a creation of the people of Benue State who enacted it to provide a permanent solution to the herders and farmers constant clashes.
There is no going back on the implementation of the law and we have no apologies to the Minister of Defence or anyone”, he said.
