Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The senator, representing Lagos West in the Red Chamber, Solomon Adeola, has called on state governors in the south western part of the country to be proactive in finding solutions to attacks by herdsmen in the region.
Sen. Adeola, an Ogun State governorship aspirant under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), also noted the call became imperative on the face of herdsmen attacks and killings spreading across the nation.
He pointed out that with the recent incidences in Ogun State and other south west states, the governors should, however, reject the cattle colony being considered by the federal government.
The call was contained in a statement signed by the media aide to Adeola, Kayode Odunaro and made available to newsmen on Monday, in Abeokuta.
According to the senator, who is the Chairman of Senate Committee on Local Content, the proposed cattle colony would not end herdsmen/farmers clashes in the southwest, but would rather destroy the socio-cultural way of life of the Yoruba people.
Adeola said, “The controversial “Cattle Colony” being considered by the Federal Government as a solution the herdsmen/farmers clashes should not be considered by any state governments from all Yoruba and as its far reaching socio-economic and political effects promises to destroy the socio-cultural way of life of Yoruba. From records of such colonies in the past, it is a source of conflicts for even generations yet unborn.
“In parts of Ogun West, where I hail from as well as other parts of Southwest zone, the Savannah vegetation is conducive to ranching and some of our people rear and breed a specie of cattle without destroying other people’s farmlands and crops. However, they have been victims of Fulani herdsmen attacks resulting in deaths with one reported some weeks ago. And the attack is spreading with one in Ewekoro and then Ijebu Ode axis of the state. Government should move quickly to stem this trend.
“In line with modern livestock practices worldwide, which gives better yield and economic return, herdsmen should move with time and embrace ranching as a way of continuing their agricultural business. The business cannot grow or be profitable with attacks and killings of farmers as such will eventually lead to repercussions that is not in the interest of business or the nation”.
He, therefore, called on government at all levels to consider the option of ranching as a way of resolving these ugly incidences of attacks and killings, submitting “government can subsidize such a system for a period or give grants or loans to herders to have ranches in similar ways as it is done in other areas of our agricultural sector”.