The Yoruba Initiative (TYI) a socio-cultural and non-political group in the south-west has raised alarm over the destruction of farmlands in many parts of South West by cows, owned by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The group describes the unceasing encroachment by herdsmen cows as a threat to the economy.
In a statement on behalf of the group by the Chairman of the Media Committee, Folu Olamiti, TYI said that farmers in most parts of the region are crying out and complaining about the menace, adding that similar complaints have also came from states in Niger Delta, South East and recently from Catholic Bishops Conference Of Nigeria ( CBCN) in Abuja on the havoc being by suspected Fulani herdsmen on farmlands.
The group, therefore called on the south-west governors to take the problem as a challenge by collaborating with the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) to immediately develop an action plan aimed at preventing further encroachment of farm lands.
TYI asked the Federal Government to urgently intervene by looking into the problems and dangers posed by the cows rampaging farmlands in the south-west and other parts of the federation.
It said that if the problem is not curbed, it has the potency to cause commotions and disaffections among ethnic groups in the country.
The group noted that the grazing of cattle on farmlands in specific areas of the south-west by the herdersmen had been discouraging the business of farming in the region, more so as farmers continued to count their losses each time cows maliciously devoured crops on their farms.
The group noted that the Federal Government’s efforts at diversifying the economy with farming as a major anchor, are already being defeated through the rampage of arable lands by cows.
“if it continues it will worsen poverty and food scarcity not only in the south-west, but also across the federation in the foreseeable future.”
The TYI counselled the Federal Government not to concentrate attention on the northern part of the country alone on agric development, but to spread such opportunities evenly across the geo-political zones of the federation if Nigeria must truly “emerges as a giant in agriculture, while earning foreign exchange to grow its economy.”
The TYI, counseled state governors in the affected states to urgently consider holding a special meeting with the President of Nigeria, state governors from the northern parts of the country as well as the umbrella association for Fulani herdersmen to collectively fashion out ways to stop the rampage.
“The people of south-west have long been noted to be highly accommodating. They have been living peacefully with Fulani and other ethnic groups for ages until now that cows, for no just reason, are being moved with impunity into farmlands, while herders show no slight concern to farm owners.
“We like to stress here that the impunity noted of the herders in destroying farmlands may have political undertone for now, but such will never serve even their interest in the long run in the event that Nigeria gets destabilised in line with plans by forces that may be remote-controlling the herders.”
TYI appealed to farmers in all parts of the south-west to be more security conscious and law abiding and to report any breach of security around their farms to government of their respective states. [myad]
