Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the federal government has expressed concerns over the growing wave of violent altercations between pastoralist and sedentary farmers, saying the trend must be halted before the elections. At a meeting between the Minister of Interior, Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, five state governors and security chiefs, the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh however conceded that the federal government has not done enough to cater for the needs of the herdsmen.
“The farmer and herdsmen must not have his life threatened by circumstances surrounding his profession. We do not want the farmer to lose his crops nor would we want anyone to. Over the years we have not done much to look seriously into the issue of livestock development in the country.
People ask the question why should government get involved? Why shouldn’t the herdsmen manage their own livestock? I am sad to tell you that in the last 50 years until recently we may have done enough for the rice farmer, the cassava farmer, the maize farmer, the cocoa farmer, but we haven’t done much for herdsmen and that inability and omission on our part is resulting in the crises we are witnessing today.
In Europe, every cow that is farmed gets a subsidy of Six Euros per day; we have done next to nothing for the cattle rearers here and as a result its operation has become a threat to the existence of our farmers and that is what this communique will seek to resolve”, said Ogbeh.
