I want to believe that you have seen part of the Grazing
Bills and the question is, do you think that would solve the
problem?
Firstly, before I say anything, let me use this opportunity to
condemn in totality what has taken place in Enugu, it is
extremely shocking and I want to sympathise with the
government and people of Enugu State irrespective of who
has done it. People have lost their lives. It is a sad
happening and we hope the security will do all they could to
fish out the perpetrators.
We, too, have suffered immensely in the hands of these
perpetrators because our cattle are lost in their thousands,
Fulanis are always kidnapped - hardly a day passes and you
will not hear that five or 10 Fulanis have been kidnapped for
ransom. Only that it is a silent happening and the media is
not covering it.
Fulani being kidnapped?
Yes. Every day. Find out from Kaduna State. It’s is really
sad. These are things that are perpetrated by criminals but,
surprisingly, everybody is blaming the Fulani herdsmen; so
we are now victims and culprits at the same time.
Since some of them are victims, do you think these Bills
will address the issues on the table?
Yes, definitely. The law governing the establishment of
grazing reserves is not new, it started in 1965. Later in
National Agriculture Policy also earmarked 10percent of the
total national territory for grazing areas - that is, 9.8million
hectares of land were earmarked in 1988 for grazing
reserves. That figure was later increased to 20million
hectares.
So what happened to all the land?
What we have today is less than three million hectares -
the so-called gazetted grazing areas cover only about three
million.
We have about 415 grazing areas and grazing reserves and
forest reserves because these are different things. The
grazing reserves are those that are gazetted. Out of the
415, 141 were gazetted. And those 141 reserves gazetted
cover only about three million hectares of land.
And even that one today has been damaged by ecology,
encroachment and the rest.
If that is the case, you now have state governors who are
saying they will not give out any land. Do you think they
should just hold on to see how they could solve the
clashes first, before the Bills?
You see, these clashes came as a result of the absence of
developed grazing reserves and the protection of those
reserves. These are areas that have suffered a lot of
neglect because the pastoralists’ livelihood has been
frequently undermined by unfriendly policies and laws.
The policies of the past administrations have given more
attention to agronomy and not the livestock sub-sector.
That is what has caused this problem.
This is a consequence of the neglect of this long-term
sector of the economy.
As I told you, we have about three million hectares which
have been destroyed. They are mostly located in the
northern and the south-western parts of the country. These
are all the states of the North, as well as Oyo and Ogun
states.
How did the grazing reserves work for the herdsmen in the
past?
A lot of legislations covered them because, if you go to the
states, you have the local government and forestry units
working effectively to protect the reserves but, today, I do
not think they are there again.
Some people think if there are grazing reserves, that is
where the herdsmen should be?
They were occupied to some extent but encroachment by
small farmers and big-time farmers, who acquired land to
obtain loans from banks and not for real agriculture and the
environment, over-grazing and non-maintenance of the
reserves, have rendered them useless.
Have groups like yours met northern governors to sensitise
them to the future dangers of not maintaining those
reserves?
We have been meeting with them for quite some time now.
So why are they not listening?
I don’t know. As I told you earlier, it is the neglect of this
sector that is causing this problem. If past administra
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