From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Kano State Governor Abdullai Umar Ganduje has said the to halt the incessant incidences of clashes between farmers and herders, the federal government must enact a law banning the movement of cattle from the north to other parts of the country.
Ganduje stated this in an interview with newsmen after a special lunch the governors on the platform of the ruling Alł Progressives Congress (APC) had with President Muhammadu Buhari in his private residence at the weekend in Daura, Katsina state.
According to the governor said having a ban on movement of herders would also address the challenge of cattle rustling.
Ganduje while responding to question on how far he had gone with the Ruga project in his state, said “we are building a Ruga settlement in Samsosua Forest, our border with Katsina and we have succeeded in curtailing the effect of banditry in that area. So, we are building many houses, we are constructing a dam; we are establishing a Cattle Artificial insemination Centre; we are establishing a veterinary clinic and already we have started building houses for herdsmen.
“My advocacy is that we should abolish the transportation or trekking of herdsmen from the northern part of Nigeria to the middle belt and to the Southern part of Nigeria. There should be a law that will ban, otherwise we cannot control the conflicts between herdsmen and farmers and cannot control the cattle rustling which is affecting us greatly.”
On what to expect from the newly appointed Service Chiefs, he said he expects them to work closely with state governors because they (the governors) know what the people need and the black spots in their domains.
Gombe state governor, Muhammad Yahaya, also speaking on his expectations from the new Service Chiefs said: “I will ask them to work hard; harder than what Mr President might have assumed they would do because the task ahead is very challenging and I believe they will live up to expectations.”
Jigawa state governor on his part said: “I think they have to listen to people in the transfer of intelligence and continue to ask people to pray for them.”
Meanwhile, the Kebbi State governor has described the ongoing revalidation and registration of members of the ruling APC as an opportunity to deepen democracy, show respect for institutions of the party and sanctity of those institutions.
According to him, President Buhari, by re-validating his membership of the APC at his Sarki Yara ‘A’ Registration Centre, Bayajidda Primary School, Daura, Katsina state on Saturday, has demonstrated that he was personally leading by example to show that party’s organs and membership matter in order to deepen democracy in the country.
