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Herder-farmers conflict: Embracing the Ganduje, Abounu solution | By Oludayo Tade

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Fielding questions from journalists in Katsina, recently, the Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, disclosed that his administration has been able to stem the tide of banditry by establishing a ranching culture in the state.

He said, “We are building a RUGA settlement in Samsosua forest, our border with Katsina, and we have succeeded in curtailing the effect of banditry in that area. So, we are building many houses, constructing a dam, establishing a cattle artificial insemination centre. We are establishing a veterinary clinic and already, we have started building houses for herdsmen.”

Ganduje advocated for the abolishment of nomadic herding which features the transportation or trekking of herdsmen from the north to the middle belt and southern part of Nigeria.

“There should be a law that will ban it, otherwise, we cannot control the conflicts between herdsmen and farmers and cannot control the cattle rustling which are affecting us greatly,” he said.

For Benue state deputy governor, Benson Abounu, Ganduje’s advocacy is worth embracing, adding that having seen it all, Ganduje, who was once a cattle rearer, is highly informed about the situation, and his recommendation of a law prohibiting nomadic grazing should be given a chance to bear fruits across the country.

There is no gainsaying Olayiwola Adeleke, the Chairman of the Igana Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and his constituency appreciates in no small measure, Governor Ganduje’s intervention and suggestions concerning the herdsmen-farmers conflict.

Not even Adeleke’s position as the chief security officer of Igana could earn him respect of preferential treatment when Fulani kidnappers accosted his vehicle and pounced on him. The beating he endured and humiliation he suffered in the hands of his assailants are better imagined.

According to him, “All of a sudden, we heard gun shots. These people came out from the bush with guns in their hands. They ordered us to open the door. They began to slap me and my driver, they beat us mercilessly. They were even shooting to scare people away. They are young boys. They are Fulani indigenes. They spoke Fulani language.”

On the heels of Adeleke’s travail, the chairman of the Ibarapa Northwest Local Government Area (LGA), Daniel Okediji, explained that the insecurity rocking Ibarapa metamorphosed from highway robbery to kidnapping.

He said, “Initially it was the case of Fulani herders attacking the farmers on their farms; when they destroy the farm, farmers would want to react but instead of them (fulani) pleading, some of them will start attacking the farmers with machetes.”

According to the International Crisis Group (ICG), escalated conflicts between farming communities and criminal herders are six times deadlier than Boko Haram Insurgency because of the number of civilian casualties.

Between 2010 and 2015, 850 violent clashes were recorded between farmers and herders in the middle belt region claiming the lives of 6,500 people and displacing 62, 000. In 2016 alone, ICG recorded 2,500 deaths arising from these violent clashes majority of the victims were from Benue and Kaduna and other southern States.

From 2018 when the crisis took a new dimension, an estimated 300,000 peoples have reportedly fled their homelands. As farmers flee their communities, criminal herders acquire their lands and settle.

Victims of kidnapping have also confirmed the identities of their abductors to be of Fulani extraction. Similar experiences of ‘terror’ by people of Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun led to the eviction of the Seriki of Fulani from the Igangan community in Oyo State, for allegedly aiding and abetting criminal Fulani herders and mediating payments of ransom to Fulani kidnappers.

The community claimed to have paid over N50million and lost over 15 people with many still nursing gunshot and machete wounds. Those who were kidnapped are still battling post-traumatic stress disorder. Many of their victims are female farmers, who were reportedly raped, while some have died in the process.

According to the Chairman of the Ibarapa Northwest, Okediji, “In one week, three persons were kidnapped. They collected N2million on the first victim, N3.5million on the second and N7.5million on the third.”

Sunday Oyebisi is another victim of farm plundering and violent attacks by Fulani herders. Oyebisi, who owned  30 acres of a cashew farm, suffered a raw deal in the hands of his assailants.

He said, “They will just drive the owner of the farm away and eat up (plunder) the farm. They have destroyed my 30-acre cashew farm and I reported to the police at Ayete but when Seriki Fulani got there, nothing was done to the case.”

The response of the State is rather slow and downplays the magnitude of the impending danger. The federal government, like some states preaches peaceful living without serving justice to the victims, many of whom accuse the federal government of pampering criminal herders thus emboldening other transnational criminal gangs of Fulani extraction to compromise national security and threaten food security.

The recent hike in food products is not unconnected with the insecurity being experienced by traders and the displacement of farmers from their homelands by Fulani herders. The food blockage from northern to southern Nigeria and the consequences of that action is also instructive, emphasising an urgent need for improved protection for farmers in order to guarantee food security and sustainability.

Adewale Moses, another victim of Fulani herders’ violence, said: “We can’t farm without anticipating attacks. One cannot send women to farm without them being raped.” May be this is why, James Olagbenro a traditional ruler in the affected area of Ibarapa maintained that the Fulani needs to leave the community for them to enjoy peace. This is by no means ethnic profiling. The association of criminal Fulani herdsmen with rape, farm plundering and kidnapping in southern Nigeria derives from the data extracted from victims of these crimes.

Unchecked invasion of farming communities and their displacement may create graver troubles for Nigeria. When farmers are chased off farms by Fulani herders and nothing is done to arrest them, the implication is that Nigeria cannot meet at least five of the Sustainable Development Goals and will not be able to feed her people. These are ‘no poverty,’ zero hunger, reducing inequality, sustainable cities and communities, peace, justice and strong institutions.

To resolve the conflict, experts have called for better management of the country’s security and intelligence system. There are increased calls for justice in dealing with reports and arrests of criminal herders.

Porous borders must be manned and movement of transnational herders controlled. In the southwest for instance, open grazing, child grazing among others have been banned in the wake of outrage and riots in Igangan and  Shasha, in Oyo State.

While northern governors explore practical initiatives like Ganduje’s RUGA settlement, Fulani herders have been urged to conduct their activities in line with the laws of their respective states.

Nigeria may also take a cue from Tanzania where government is tackling the conflict between peasant farmers and pastoralist communities by making land available for private commercial interests.

   

Dr Tade, sociologist and media expert sent this piece via dotad2003@yahoo.com

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Oyo South: Oseni Approves N100m for Ibadan Community Road Rehabilitation

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has approved N100 million for the immediate rehabilitation of a major access road linking seven communities in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Oseni, who represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, announced the intervention on Saturday at a town hall meeting with residents and community leaders from Power Line, Awonsoso, Siba, Olupoyi, Balogun, Baba Agba and Agaloke communities.

‎The lawmaker said the decision followed a request by the community stakeholders, who identified the poor condition of the road as their most pressing need. He assured the residents that the rehabilitation would be completed within four months.

‎Oseni said the intervention was part of his commitment to people-centred representation, stressing that his legislative activities had been focused on issues capable of improving the lives of Nigerians.

He said, “Within the three years plus, I have sponsored bills and moved motions that are carefully designed to positively impact the lives and livelihoods of citizens.”

According to him, some of the legislative initiatives include moves to amend the Federal Medical Centres Act to establish a Federal Medical Centre in Ido Local Government Area, stronger sanctions for contractors who fail to execute government projects according to specifications, and measures to improve accountability in the management of public contracts.

Oseni added that he had also advocated subsidised farm machinery for farmers, measures to reduce the cost of cancer treatment, improved food storage through modern silos and processing facilities, as well as urgent action on flooding and recurring building collapses in major cities among several others.

‎The lawmaker said his engagements with communities across Oyo South should not be viewed solely through the prism of the 2027 elections, despite the commencement of political activities.

“My visit here today is not to solicit for votes, but to listen and find practical ways to attend to the requests and plights of my people,” he said.

‎Oseni also disclosed that he had facilitated the distribution of 31 transformers across Ido and Ibarapa, with about 80 per cent of the cost funded through his foundation. He added that  other interventions had included solar-powered street lights, boreholes, bridges, public toilets, educational support,  infrastructure, health care services,  youth and women empowerment, and assistance to artisans, traders and markets across the senatorial district.

The APC chieftain further noted that some youths had also received N1 million each as seed capital to start small businesses.

‎Oseni acknowledged that his primary responsibility as a federal lawmaker was to make laws and provide effective representation, but said the gap created by ineffective governance at the grassroots had made it necessary for him to support communities through interventions.

He urged youths to remain focused and resilient, recounting how he worked as a bus conductor to raise money for his secondary education before becoming an engineer, businessman and legislator.

Earlier,  Chief Muibi Adegoke, Baale of Awonsoso, and Chief Azeez Saka, Baale of Elere Apata, commended the lawmaker for what they described as his performance in legislation and community development. They pledged their support for his political aspiration ahead of the 2027 election.

‎The meeting was attended by traditional rulers, religious leaders, community elders, women and youth leaders from the affected communities.

(c) Mega Icon Magazine 

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Ondo alcohol deaths: 29 die, 60 affected

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No fewer than 29 people have died after allegedly consuming a suspected contaminated alcoholic beverage in Araromi-Obu and other communities in the Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Awolowo-Ajaka, disclosed this on Friday while briefing journalists in Akure.

Awolowo-Ajaka said 60 cases had so far been recorded, with three victims currently receiving treatment in hospitals and 27 others under medical observation.

He said 95 per cent of those affected were males aged between 16 and 55 years.

According to him, the affected communities include Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu, Newtown, Odole, Okele and Oniparaga.

The commissioner said the victims exhibited symptoms including headache, body pain, general weakness, visual disturbance, difficulty breathing and altered consciousness.

He added that some of the victims deteriorated rapidly, leading to death within a few hours.

Awolowo-Ajaka said the pattern of illness and the reported history of exposure had raised strong epidemiological suspicion that the victims were exposed to a toxic alcoholic substance.

He, however, stressed that the exact cause of the deaths had not been established through laboratory testing.

“The pattern of illness and reported history of exposure have raised strong epidemiological suspicion of exposure to a probable toxic alcoholic substance. However, we are yet to have laboratory evidence of the cause of the deaths,” he said.

The commissioner disclosed that 36 blood and urine samples had been collected from victims for laboratory analysis, while samples of the suspected alcoholic substances had also been submitted for toxicological investigation.

He said the investigation was being conducted in collaboration with relevant regulatory and security agencies.

As part of measures to contain the situation, the state government has imposed a temporary ban on the production and sale of locally brewed alcoholic herbal beverages in the affected local government area.

Awolowo-Ajaka added that several suspects found selling the substance had been taken into custody.

He urged residents to avoid alcoholic products from unlicensed sources and seek immediate medical attention if they experience blurred vision, difficulty breathing, sudden weakness, confusion or loss of consciousness after consuming alcohol.

The commissioner advised residents to take anyone exhibiting such symptoms to the General Hospital, Ore, or the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ondo, without delay.

He assured the public that the state government was working with national and international partners to identify the exact cause of the deaths and prevent further loss of life.

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Ibarapa East/Ido: I’ll sustain quality representation, development, says Osuolale 

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File photo of Hon.Osuolale Niyi Yusuf

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, Hon. Osuolale Niyi Yusuf, has promised to sustain quality representation and development in the constituency if elected.

Osuolale made the promise on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital while speaking with journalists on his ambition and his plans for the constituency.

The former Education Secretary and councillor said his focus would be on effective legislation, people-oriented representation and the facilitation of projects that would address the immediate needs of the people.

According to him,  representation should not be limited to attending legislative sessions, but must also involve listening to the people, understanding their challenges and ensuring that their concerns receive attention at the appropriate level.

The APC chieftain said people of Ibarapa East/Ido need a representative who would remain close to them and continue to engage with them after elections as it is presently witnessed.

“I want to assure the people of Ibarapa East/Ido that if given the opportunity, I will give them quality and effective representation. My interest is to represent the people well and ensure that projects and interventions are directed towards areas where they are most needed,” he said.

Osuolale also acknowledged the work of the incumbent member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, saying that his performance had created a standard that any successor would have to respect.

“Hon. Aderemi Oseni has set a standard that must not be lowered. Whoever is coming after him must be prepared to sustain the quality of representation and, where possible, improve on it,” he said.

The APC candidate said his experience in public service had given him an understanding of the importance of consultation and accountability in governance, stressing that he would make the people central to his legislative activities.

He identified education, infrastructure, youth development, women empowerment , health care services among others as areas that deserved continued attention, adding that he would work with community leaders and other stakeholders to attract meaningful development to Ibarapa East/Ido.

Osuolale therefore appealed to the people of the constituency to support his aspiration, promising that, if elected, he would regard the mandate as a responsibility to serve rather than an opportunity for personal gain.

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