BY BANYO TEMITAYO
DIRECTOR-GENERAL, Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, has commended the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, over his idea of setting up a commission that will be in charge of Pastoral or Livestock issues nationwide.
He said he was of the opinion that the move would be a pragmatic community-oriented solution, aimed at diffusing, cushioning and stopping the intractable menace of farmers-herders crisis in Nigeria.
Okechukwu, who spoke while briefing journalists, on Sunday, added that the crisis had polarised and divided the country more than any other issue since after the civil war.
The DG said, “May I commend Abubakar Malami, SAN, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, for his idea of setting up a Pastoral or Livestock Commission nationwide.
“I think it is a pragmatic community-oriented solution, aimed at diffusing, cushioning and stopping the intractable menace of Farmers-Herders crisis in our dear country.”
He added, “It properly defines the farmers-herders crisis for what it truly is: National Security Question. It is a National Security Question because it had polarised and divided the country more than any other issue since after the civil war.
“It has more or less rubbished all the good works of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR and profiled him negatively.”
On what would appear as the Federal Government funding the private business of herders, the DG noted, “The query of the appropriateness of the Federal Government funding herders, who are private farmers, has not deflated the need for the creation of a livestock commission.
“Let us note that the herders have dangerously disrupted crops of farmers, and on the other hand, farmers have rustled cattle, before we count the uncountable lives lost, the polarisation of our dear countrymen.
“The farmers-herders crisis is a National Security Question, which has placed our dear fatherland on a cliff-hanger and therefore, as a matter of urgent national importance, must be contained.”
