Don suggests irrigation facilities as solutions to herder/farmer clashes

A lecturer, Prof. Osaretin Ekuobase, has identified solutions that he assures will tackle herder/farmer clashes in the country.

He stressed that with the construction of modern dams across the northern parts of the country, the crisis would become history.

Ekuobase said the modern dams would meet the water need of the herders and would boost dry season farming.

He said this while fielding questions from newsmen in Benin City on how he intends to achieve his goals.

The professor of Services Computing, University of Benin, said if there were enough irrigation facilities in the north, the herders would not have any business in bringing their cattle to the south to graze, but rather would remain in their region.

“We will also leverage on renewable energy. There is surplus sunshine in the north. We will capitalise on it to ensure there is electricity from solar and once there is power, it will create wealth.

“On agriculture, we have already finalised that it is feasible and doable to bring about modern dams and rains.

“Modern dams will utilise artificial rains in the north will not only bring about maximum cultivation, but it will also curb farmer/herder crisis because if there is enough rain in the north, but herders also will not come to the south. I believe that the farmers and herders are Nigerians.

“The solution is modern dams and artificial rain in the north,” he said.

Ekuobase maintained that to get the nation out of its present economic woes is to break the chain of monopoly and create avenues for other sectors to thrive.

“I intend to concentrate on the basic things and lay the foundation for greatness. And the foundation for industrialisation is agriculture and electricity. When we talk about leadership, we intend to come about with policies like breaking monopolies and distributing ports.

“In Nigeria, there is just one functional port, but the country is too large. We have waterways which we will key on and the distributed ports will crash prices of goods and services.”