Sultan tells Governors, Lands belong to God

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III has charged state governors to come up with concrete solutions to the farmers-herders clash, by way of creating grazing reserves rather than grandstanding that they do not have any land to cede for the project.

Declaring that lands belong to God and not to the governors, the Sultan added that Nigerians are both hungry and angry, urging the governors to do right by Nigerians.

The Sultan gave the charge on Monday in Abuja at the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigating Associated Conflicts organised by the Kano state Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

He said; “Some governors would say they do not have land for grazing reserves. You don’t own the land. God owns the land. Let’s put politics aside and work for the people. As a governor, the highest you have is eight years and you go, but the people will remain.

“Let’s keep politics aside. The issue of development especially for the common man should be prioritized. These people that God Almighty gave you leadership over, one day, God forbid that they rise up against us.

“After all these English by professors, how do we get these developments down to the common Gov man who is a farmer, the common Fulani man who doesn’t know anything about development in his life, he only cares about cattles.

“I have been to Benue at least two times as Sultan to sit with the governor and traditional rulers to discuss peace in the Benue valley. At the end of it, the suggestions, we throw them away. Nothing is done and we are back to square one.

“Let this conference not be in the same manner. Let us do it and let us do well now.

“The people are hungry – is there money? ? No cash? People are angry and hungry. Let us see how we can douse the tension”.

Ruga, only option

In his address, Gov. Ganduje said the Rural Grazing Areas RUGA remained the only option for peace between farmers and herders.

He said; “The Rural Grazing Areas RUGA or ranching, which has been deliberately politicized, remains the only option that would go a long way in mitigating existential problems, as pastoralists would have lands to graze without cattle encroaching on people’s farmlands. Because, herders need fodder for their cattle and promote alternative means of producing feedstock, which reduces the need for grazing land.

“We have gone far in the establishment of Ruga Settlement in Kano. Already, 25 housing units out of the projected 500, situated on 4, 413 hectares of land at Dansoshiya Forest in Kiru local government have been completed and handed over to the herders. The replica of the houses will be displayed during an exhibition planned as part of this conference.

“Modernising the livestock sector is not only key to resolving the herder-farmer conflict but was envisaged that this economic investment pillar will support and strengthen the development of market-driven ranches for improved livestock production through breed improvement and pasture production.

“There is therefore the need for aiding information, education, and strategic communication on the development of grazing reserves to mitigate the consequences of these conflicts.

“It is also very important that we must also avoid the dangers of allowing these conflicts to harden to religious or ethnic conflicts. This is the responsibility of political, religious, and all other parts of our leadership elite in Nigeria.

“We must also intensify existing collaboration with our neighbours especially border communities, to prevent the movement of small arms, and disarm armed pastoralists and bandits who go through our borders day after day.

“Predominantly nomadic pastoralists should be persuaded to move their cattle into established ranches and public grazing reserves, where breeding farms and other mechanized livestock management practices would bolster the sector’s productivity.

“Hand in hand with this, the government should rebuild social capital at the community level to promote mutual trust, confidence building, and consolidate the peace process, while the law and order pillar would support the strengthening of legal frameworks for improving livestock production, peace, and harmony”.

The conference which was attended by eminent personalities had as its theme: “Sustainable Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts in Nigeria”.

(TNT)