[ooyala code=”9pNXVjNzE6qyE-m-voVQhZSheEv2kuuZ” player_id=”1b17bdeb76cb4ac7b9d901fad6010bb6″ width=”1280″ height=”720″ auto=”true” autoplay=”true”] Delta bans grazing, warns leaders against sabotage

After signing a peace pact with members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria(MACBAN), Governor Ayodele Fayose, yesterday released nine cows arrested for contravening Ekiti State’s anti-grazing law to the group.

Fayose, however, stated that he released the cows to cement the relationship between the government, farmers and the Fulani herdsmen, warning that the 7:00am till 6:00pm grazing period stipulated in the law stands and that anyone who contravenes this will be dealt with.

MACBAN promised that its members would co-exist peacefully with the farmers and residents.
[ad unit=2]
The governor empowered traditional rulers to enforce the grazing law in their domains and to apportion lands to herdsmen to do their businesses under a controlled situation.

“You can’t say because you are rearing cows be destroying our farmlands. Our people rely on these farms to survive and the moment you are destroying them, then they will not be interested to go into farming and hunger will affect all of us”, he said.

He threatened to deal with whoever harasses the cattle rearers
while doing their legitimate businesses, urging the leaders of MACBAN to always report directly to him any case of intimidation and oppression against their members.

The Southwest Chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Mohammed Abass,said government at all levels should not politicise the crisis
between its members and farmers in some states.

In a related development, Delta State government has banned herdsmen from grazing in various communities and warned their leaders against sabotaging this decision.

Special Adviser to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on rural development and peace building, Chief Edwin Uzor, told reporters in Asaba that a resolution towards ensuring peace between the herdsmen and indigenes of communities was reached, stressing that the state had taken steps to put paid to the “wicked activities” perpetrated by the cattle rearers.

Decrying a situation where individuals or groups of persons connive with herdsmen to the detriment of the entire communities for self-gain, he said severe sanctions would be meted to anyone caught.

His words: “The state government is committed to the support of the communities where these herdsmen operate every day in curbing their scourge.’’