Presidency hidden plan, the reason why it’s kicking against open grazing ban – Ortom

The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom in a statement on Tuesday said the Federal Government has a hidden agenda, that’s why they are against the southern governors ban on open grazing.

The Presidency earlier on Monday wronged the recent agreement of the Southern Governors, which included open grazing ban through every states in the entire southern part of the country.

The statement which was released by the Federal Government on Monday and signed by spokesman to the President Garba Shehu stated the Governors’ agreement failed to proffer any solution to the long going crisis between herders and farmers in the country.

The statement by the Presidency, rather said that President Buhari has agreed and resolved to approve a plan with action to rehabilitate grazing reserves in every state in the country, beginning with those that are ready, eager and open to the plan, and are compliant with the requirements stated.

But Samuel Ortom the Benue State Governor, in a statement signed by his chief press secretary Terver Akase, said he was curious of the Federal Government insistence on open grazing reserves.

“The move by the Presidency is not only seen as a misplaced priority but curious and alarming”, read the statement by Governor Ortom.

“At a period when the country is been troubled by several and serious security issues and several citizens calling for the national to dialogue and rewrite the nation’s constitution and correct all the issues that has led the country to the present state and security decadence, the Federal Government thinks rehabilitating grazing reserves and routes is the only available solution.”

Governor Samuel Ortom wronged the plan of the Federal Government to rehabilitates and open grazing reserves by June as early and sudden.

Samuel Ortom also mentioned that the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) had in February 9 met and agreed that the system currently used for herding which is mainly open grazing is no longer viable and sustainable, since urbanisation and population of the country has grown sporadically.

He noted that in the northern governors forum they resolve to educate herders on the importance of switching to ranching as a modern way to animal husbandry, Governor Ortom further stated that the southern governors met earlier in the month on May 11 in Delta State to ban open grazing in all the states.

The Benue State Governor added that the southern governors reached the conclusion that ranching was the modern alternative to animal rearing.

He continued that as it stands the Presidency is the only one pushing for open grazing which will return us to the 1950s and 60s and further increase the insecurity problem we are faced with already. He said the Fulani lay claims to all the lands in Nigeria which gives them the impetus to invade farming communities by killing the original owners of the land.

The truth most be said that in the 21st century cattle routes and grazing reserves are no longer viable because the population of the nation has far surpassed that of the fifties or sixties when these routes were recommended.

“Currently, these paths have been replaced with roads, airports, hospitals, houses, airports, stadium, markets, and other human activities. The reduced land mass of the country has also affected it as we lost the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon. Apart from that the international best practice which is now adopted all over the world for animal rearing is ranching; and that’s what Benue State is adopting.”