Greatest evil of open grazing is non-education of children — Ganduje

By ABDULMUMIN MURTALA, Kano

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has said that the greatest evil from open grazing is the inability of herders’ children to get education.

Governor Ganduje said in an interview with Vanguard, where he also urged governors to leave the issue of power/presidency shift to the North or South to political parties.

Ganduje said: “Like I have been saying, the constitution has not mentioned that power should shift from North to South.

“But it has been a tradition in the country to have power zoning. And this zoning is a strategy by a political party. Each party has to develop a strategy on how to win election.

“If you think power shift will bring you votes to win elections, you have not offended the constitution. If you think you can retain leadership of this country forever and win election, the constitution is not offended.

So I thought this issue should be left to political parties to resolve. Not we as governors to have two opposing groups. That is important.”

On the disadvantage of open grazing, the governor said: “I have been saying it; is unfortunate that the issue of open grazing have brought a lot of controversy.

“Trekking from the northern part of this country to the middle belt or central part of this country or to the south, to me, is not acceptable.

“The children will not be able to have education, which to me it is criminal.

“Will the education system follow them along the routes from north to central to southern parts of this country? Can any educational system agree with that?

“That is why at the Dansoshiya Forest here in Kano we creating the Ruga system where we provide water, housing, markets, veterinary clinic and educational system for the children so that they can also be enjoying social development like any other person in Nigeria.

“I was once in China and I asked my driver, a Chinese man, ‘I have not seen cows crossing the roads?’ He said ‘no, no, no, the cattle rearers are in one zone.

“‘Anybody who wants to rear cattle will be in that zone. That is why you cannot see the cows here and there’.

“That is planning. That is what we should have.

“The greatest crime in migrating from North to South for grazing is lack of education for the children. As far as I am concerned, that is the greatest crime; you denying somebody education.

“No Islamic education, no western education, nothing whatsoever; that is why we are in these problems now.” (Saturday Vanguard)