MEMORANDUM ON THE URGENT NEED TO ADDRESS THE INCESSANT CLASHES BETWEEN HERDSMEN, FARMERS AND THEIR HOST COMMUNITIES, AND ON THE CURRENT GRAZING RESERVE AND ROUTE BILL 2016, SUBMITTED BY OHANAENZE NDIGBO TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION AND SERVICES ON 27TH APRIL 2016.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo is the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Igbo speaking people of Nigeria. It represents the interests of the Igbo all over the world.
We are therefore pleased to submit to this honourable house the feelings and thoughts of our Igbo people on this subject matter which has continued to generate tension and pain among our people. Just recently, many lives, and properties were lost in Nimbo, Uzo uwani L.G.A of Enugu State to these clashes. The grief is fresh in our hearts and we are sincerely determined to engage in processes that will bring to an end this unnecessary shedding of blood that threatens our very existence as a Nation.
For many years, several communities have been engaged in clashes with herdsmen. The cause of the clashes is usually from disagreements involving herdsmen grazing their herds through farms belonging to farmers in the communities where they visit. The present upsurge in clashes between herdsmen and farmers across the country with impunity and impudence as well as the use of sophisticated weapons by the herdsmen is a new phenomenon in this country.
The intensity, frequency and ferocity of clashes between herdsmen and rural farmers especially in the North-Central ans Southern Nigeria constitute a clear and present danger to our national cohesion. The number of deaths, burnt houses, rapes, and murder of the citizenry are too gruesome to be acceptable to any government.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on behalf of the Igbo speaking people of Nigeria considers the present situation and development unacceptable and an affront to the peaceful communities trying to erk out a living from subsistence farming in their God-given communities.
Nomadic herdsmen disappeared in Europe and other developed countries centuries ago. In most civilised societies, ranches have been established for better forms of farming. Products from ranches have been seen to be healthier, easy to feed and raise; more productive and economical; and eliminates nomadic tendencies with the attendant drawbacks. It also eliminates conflicts between farmers and herdsmen.
In Nigeria, several methods have been deployed including the setting up of grazing reserves and routes. In most of these routes and reserves, clashes occur regularly especially in the Southern part of the Country where land area is limited. Initially these clashes were not as deadly, but over time, with increase in population and the pressure on available land for farming, the clashes intensified with the herdsmen becoming more daring in their activities. The herdsmen are now armed with automatic weapons and entire communities have been sacked and destroyed with high human fatalities.
The security implications to the existence of Nigeria are better imagined. More than Boko Haram, the greatest threat facing Nigeria today is the Nomadic herdsmen.
The problem of the herdsman is made worse because they are more widespread and many of them are foreigners. They are armed found in all parts of the country making it easy for them to carry out a synchronized destabilisation of the Country. This in turn will lead to the establishment of ethic militia groups who will rise to defend these acts of impunity on their various communities. Only few nations can survive this scenario.
In view of these inherent dangers, Ohanaeze Ndigbo state as follows.
Cattles rearing is private business like every other business. It is therefore an absurdity, an infringement and abuse of other citizens right for the Federal Government to think of acquiring grazing land in perpetuity across the country as suggested in the grazing bill 2016 under consideration.
It is outrightly unconstitutional and discriminatory. It is equally unfair and unjust for the Federal government to acquire land across the Country as grazing land for herdsman who are private businessmen. Will the same rights and privileges be extended to other categories of farmers across the Country?
It is therefore, unexplainable that the Federal Government should be making strenuous efforts to acquire community lands all over Nigeria for private business belonging to a few Nigerians.
It baffles Ohanaeze Ndigbo that herdsmen are allowed to bear sophisticated weapons to the view of law enforcement agents, while for other Nigerians it is against the laws to do so. Are we now operating two sets of laws? We believe that the stiff enforcement of the law on bearing of prohibited fire-arms will reduce the current tension.
More importantly, all cases of herdsmen, farmers, community clashes should be thoroughly investigated by Government and culprits brought to book as deterrent
The idea of the grazing bill is outrageous and even provocative. It will not augur well for the peace and security of the Country. It is a threat to our National coexistence as one Nation and one Country.
Ohanaeze Ndiigbo hereby calls on all the good people of Nigeria, especially members of the National Assembly to avoid putting this Nation in harms way by considering such a bill.
The National Assembly and indeed the Federal Government should consider the dangerous consequences of this bill to our collective national interest and existence.
WAY FORWARD:
Ohanaeze Ndigbo recommends the following as solutions to these problems.
(IMMEDIATE ACTIONS)
Security agents of government must disarm the herdsmen forthwith. Under no circumstance must herdsmen bear prohibited arms. This will reduce their capacity to attack communities.
There must be mutual respect between farming communities and the herdsmen that enter into their communities. In other words, under no circumstance should cattle be allowed to graze through farmlands.
State legislations should be put in place to set the guidelines for grazing within states; after all, Nigeria is a federation.
Identification and effective policing of flash points to prevent those attacks before they occur.
Resettlement and rehabilitation of affected communities should be urgently pursued.
Identification of herdsmen for easy tracking by security agencies within states. This will also help in identifying foreign elements amongst them with attendant security implications.
(LONG TERM)
The practice in large livestock producing countries is the establishment of ranches. The benefits are enormous and it removes conflicts. Our farmers must be educated on the benefits of ranches.
Nomadic practice of raising cattle is obsolete, ineffective and inefficient.
Therefore ranches should be set up by farmers only in states that desire them.
Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey
President-General
Ohanaeze Ndigbo
World-Wide
