The Coalition of Pastoralists Associations in Nigeria (COPA) has raised the alarm regarding efforts by some legislators to disrupt the establishment of a ministry of livestock development recently approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement, COPA’s Secretary General, Dr. Salim Musa Umar, expressed concern over clandestine actions taken by vested interests aimed at thwarting the ministry’s creation, driven by divisive motives.
“We are aware of several meetings involving key legislators in the National Assembly that oppose the establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development for their selfish interests,” Dr. Umar stated.
Sustained meetings to thwart Tinubu’s action
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Reliable sources revealed that these meetings aimed at recruiting individuals to engage in violent acts against farms, planning to later attribute these assaults to pastoralists within their communities.
“It is disturbing to learn that the poisoning of vital water sources is being contemplated, which could have devastating consequences for livestock. This calculated destruction appears designed to generate chaos and unrest, providing justification for a senator to propose urgent legislation that capitalises on the manufactured crisis, ultimately jeopardising the push for the Ministry of Livestock Development.
“We urge all stakeholders-government officials, civil society, and the general public-to recognise and condemn such divisive strategies that aim to destabilise pastoralist communities and undermine agricultural development in Nigeria,” Dr. Umar continued.
“It is essential that we work collectively to protect the interests of all stakeholders in the agricultural sector and prevent the escalation of violence fuelled by deceitful political manoeuvres. We call on authorities to investigate these alarming revelations and hold accountable those who seek to perpetuate conflicts for political gain.”
Allegation false, satanic – Senate
However, the Senate spokesman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC Ekiti South), told Daily Trust last night that the allegation was false and satanic and should be ignored.
He said, “There is no truth in this heinous fairy tale. The Senate has already constituted a Committee of Livestock Development, with eminent Senators as members.
“It’s thus antithetical and bewildering for any irreverent retailer of falsehood to suggest or market a spurious story that the same Senate would stand on the way against the creation of a Livestock Development Ministry.
“The National Assembly is in support of the federal government’s quest to breathe oxygen into the nation’s livestock economy. This satanic preaching should be ignored by well meaning Nigerians.
“Moreover, the Senate does not operate on regional cleavage, rather a uniquely united assembly, under the responsible and responsive leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio, the 10th Senate President.”
Similarly, Akpabio’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, said, “The Senate has scheduled robust legislative activities upon resumption and I don’t think the Senate President or the Senate as an institution will accommodate to act as a clearing house for rumour mongering.”
Also, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, when contacted yesterday, said the president had promised to create the Ministry of Livestock Development and would do it.
“The presidential committee just submitted the report to the president. The president has said it, that he is going to establish the ministry, I think it is for us to wait because he is going to do it.
“The president wants to do it. The idea of setting up the Livestock Ministry is much more than just a Ministry. It is going to unlock a lot of potentials. Things that we have been denying ourselves because of the way we have been going about it.
“He wants the public to reap the benefit of the business that they are doing, of having cattle. He believes that is the way the country should go by focusing on Livestock.”
It would be recalled that President Tinubu announced the formation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, a strategic move intended to address the ongoing clashes between pastoralists and farmers.
President Tinubu approved the ministry’s creation during the inauguration of the Presidential Committee on Livestock Reforms at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja. He expressed confidence that the new ministry would resolve the long-standing conflicts that have plagued the country.
Recently, Professor Attahiru Jega presented a comprehensive 152-page inception report to the President, outlining achievable targets within a ten-year timeframe. The committee advocates for a combined approach to address Nigeria’s pastoral challenges, proposing both ranching and open grazing as viable solutions, with a long-term goal of transitioning to intensive livestock production.
Other key recommendations include a combination of ranching and open grazing, a ten-year framework for reforms, and substantial investment opportunities in Nigeria’s livestock sector-encompassing 563 million poultry, 600 million sheep, 124 million goats, 58 million cattle, and 16 million pigs.
The creation of the Ministry of Livestock Fevelopment represents the Nigerian government’s latest effort to tackle the longstanding conflict between herders and farmers over access to land, pasture, and water.
Previous administrations have implemented various initiatives, including the controversial Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) project, but such measures have failed to resolve the recurring clashes between farmers and pastoralists.
The violence has claimed countless lives. It is often framed as an ethno-religious conflict between predominantly Muslim herders and mainly Christian farmers, underlying factors such as climate change and the expansion of agriculture also contribute significantly to the tensions.
By Dalhatu Liman, Saawua Terzungwe & Baba Martins
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