• Some restructuring advocates want Nigeria disintegrated – Forum
• Houses to get bills soon, lawmakers seek legal backing for resolutions
• With 2014 confab report, no need for fresh dialogue, says Middle Belt
Southern governors’ resolutions at their meeting on Tuesday generated more nationwide reactions on Wednesday.

The northern sociopolitical group, the Arewa Consultative Forum, told The PUNCH that some of those advocating restructuring were bent on the disintegration of the country.

The group, however, supported the decision of the governors to ban open grazing of cattle.

But the Southern Senators and members of the House of Representatives commended the governors’ call for restructuring and the ban on open grazing.

The governors, had at their meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, banned open grazing and called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to take bold steps in restructuring the country.

They also called on the President to address the nation and convene a national dialogue.

ACF backs open grazing ban, calls on Buhari to address Nigerians, opposes restructuring

The National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Emmanuel Yaw, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Kaduna on Wednesday, faulted the call for restructuring, but supported other resolutions of the southern governors.

Yawe stated, “On restructuring, the ACF believes that before we take a decision on this, we should agree on whether Nigeria should remain one country before deciding on what

Restructuring advocates wants to disintegrate Nigeria – ACF

“Our position on this is informed by the fact that some of the advocates of restructuring are at the same time advocating the dissolution of Nigeria. Are they believers in Nigeria at all? We must all agree to let Nigeria be, before we move forward.”

He said there was nothing wrong for the President to address Nigerians on matters affecting the country.

The forum also said it supported the ban on the open grazing, noting that the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, an umbrella body of the herders, had called for the establishment of ranches.

The ACF spokesman also said, “There is nothing wrong with their call on the President to talk to Nigerians. As a politician he should jump at any opportunity to communicate with the electorate.


“On the issue of ban of open grazing, I don’t think there is problem here with the stand of the ACF.

“At our last National Working Committee meeting in Kaduna the national leader of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria spoke to us at length.

“He said he and his organisation had decided that the only way forward ,and that in the interest of MACABAN, was to embark on ranching and that they were waiting for government’s policy.

“If MACABAN wants open grazing banned, not only in the southern part of Nigeria but all over Nigeria, who are we to say otherwise?

“On the issue of dialogue, the ACF has always believed in this if the aim of the dialogue is to promote the unity and progress of the whole country, our forum will hold dialogue with any state and group of people that share our cherished ideals of unity, justice, peace and progress.”

Southern Senators, Reps back govs, seek bills on resolutions

The southern caucus in the House of Representatives, in a statement on Wednesday commended the governors on the demand for true federalism and restructuring.

The statement was signed by the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu; Deputy Majority Leader, Peter Akpatason; Deputy Majority Whip, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu; Deputy Minority Whip Adesegun Adekoya; Dolapo Badaru, Jimoh Ojugbele and Femi Fakeye, “on behalf of the southern members in the House of Representatives.”

Justifying the ban on open grazing, they said the Federal Government should provide “alternative and modern livestock management that does not constitute a security and economic challenge to the nation.”

Also, the Southern Senators Forum, in a statement on Wednesday, hailed the resolutions of the governors.

They urged the governors to immediately approach the leadership of the National Assembly for necessary legislative input to give their decisions, the required legal backing.

The statement was titled, “Insecurity: Southern senators commend and endorse the resolutions of the southern governors; urging them to work with the National Assembly for optimal results.”

It was jointly signed by the SSF Chairman, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti); Secretary General, Mathew Urhoghide (Edo) and Publicity Secretary, Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu).

Open grazing falls short of global best practices – Southern senators

The senators commended the governors for being emphatic on the issues of restructuring, state policing and the jettisoning of archaic traditional grazing methods, “which fall short of global best practice standard and a potential threat to our national cohesion and peace.

“As insecurity continues to take a toll on the country and subjecting many to kidnapping and killing, the Southern Senators Forum has commended governors from the region for taking a firm position on burning national issues, including banning open grazing of cattle.

“The Senators submitted that such deft and unanimous policy would help in reining in those hiding under cattle grazing to unleash terror of kidnapping and killing on the residents of the region.”

The Senators noted that southern farmers were losing hundreds of millions of naira to plundering of food crops through encroachments on farmlands and exposing the region to famine and acute food scarcity .

Nigeria’s lopsided federation needs speedy restructuring – Southern senators

They added, “With this uniform resolve by our governors to initiate no-open grazing policy, the region will return to its peaceful and agriculturally self-sufficient status it had assumed even long before Nigeria’s amalgamation in 1914.

“We salute the governors for ruminating on the expediency and the need for speedy restructuring of the highly lopsided Nigerian nation, saying this will also help to remove the venom that has permeated the land on account of alleged neglect of certain sections of the country.



“Finally, the Southern Senators Forum encourages the governors to swiftly follow up on their resolutions by immediately approaching the leadership of the National Assembly.”

But the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Ali Ndume, faulted the decision of the governors’ to ban open grazing.

Ndume, who is representing the Borno South Senatorial District in the upper chamber, stated this while addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ndume also advocated the suspension of salary payment to workers and other political office holders so that the money could be used to tackle the security challenges in the country.

Also, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra backed the ban on open grazing.

MASSOB, in statement on Wednesday, by its National Leader, Uchenna Madu, described the decisions of the governors on critical national issues as highly commendable.

Southern states to submit anti-grazing bills to state assemblies

Meanwhile, there were indications on Wednesday that Southern Governors’ Forum had directed state houses of assembly in the South to enact law backing the ban on open grazing.

The Chairman of South-South Governors’ Forum and Governor Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, said that every state would enact its law to enforce the open grazing ban.

The governor, who spoke through the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, stated this on Wednesday in an interview with The PUNCH in Asaba.

He said, “Every state will put in place a law that will be used to prosecute anybody that goes against the ban. The governors of the south have agreed with their people that the right thing to do is to ban open grazing.”

Herdsmen can’t continue moving cows from Kano to P’Harcourt on foot – Akeredolu

The Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Wednesday explained why the forum placed a ban on open grazing.

Akeredolu, who presided over the Asaba meeting of the governors on Wednesday, during an interview on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, said the decision was not new.


“It is not an entirely new issue; most of the governors have placed a ban on open grazing in their states before the meeting. Most of the states have passed laws on open grazing. Virtually all of us have passed that law.

“We felt that this open grazing must stop. It is causing a lot of problems particularly between the herders and the farmers. Whether we like it or not, times have changed and this must change. We must adopt a modern system of animal husbandry.

“In this day and age, they cannot continue taking cows by foot from Kano to Port Harcourt,” he said.

The governor said the Federal Government needed to throw its weight behind state governments that wanted to set up ranches, adding that this would benefit the herders who were exposed to dangers as they roamed with their cattle.

He added, “At the meeting, we referred to what Governor (Abdullahi) Ganduje said. It was clear that he is also against open grazing. He says it does not augur well and the herders also do not benefit from it. There is no development, they are exposed to dangers.”

On its part, the Middle Belt Forum described as unnecessary the call by the southern governors for the President to convene a fresh national dialogue .

The National Publicity Secretary of the MBF, Dr Isuwa Dogo, who spoke to one of our correspondents in Jos on Wednesday, also faulted the call for the President to address the nation.

governors did not get it right when they asked the President to address the nation. What purpose will that serve when Nigerians want him to take actions to address the challenges they are facing which he has not done?

“And again, the southern governors did not get it right when they called on the President to convene a national dialogue. What happened to the 2014 national conference that captured all the contending issues in the country and what should be done to address them? With the exception of these observations, every other resolution reached by the southern governors during their meeting in Delta State is acceptable to us in the Middle Belt Forum.”

deantimes:
If Miyetti Allah or MACBAN is supporting ban on open grazing on the pretext that giving them lands for free in all the 774 lgas as their grand patron wanted is the only condition for peace, then they must be joking because we in the Southern Nigeria, especially SS will not tolerate that.

They have enormous lands in the North, they should do their ruga there and transport the beef by vehicle down south if need be because most of us here have shifted to fish as an option now, you can't fulanise Nigeria because you want to establish your brothers from the Sahel. This is the Fulanisation OBJ talked about.

Cow breeding is a private business and I know those who do so do not pay any VAT to the govt, why should they be relying on govt to provide lands for them freely if there's no secret agenda? How many times do FG pay shop rents to Igbos who pay taxes nationwide from the proceeds of their businesses?

In Nnamdi Kanu's voice: Mad people everywhere.

favor914:
There must be compromise, please profess your own solution, who said it was free?, as long as they can prove their Nigerian citizenship like Abubakar Atiku they have as much rights as you.

Government has to provide infrastructure for institutionalized grazing, just like the States & Federal Government gives fertilizers to Farmers, provides seeds to plant, build access roads, motor parks, Airports, jetty’s, cattle rearers is part of We Nigerians that is why it is embedded on your 200 Naira note & the vast majority of Nigerians love the suya delicacy.

favor914:
There must be compromise, please profess your own solution, who said it was free?, as long as they can prove their Nigerian citizenship like Abubakar Atiku they have as much rights as you & it is provided & guaranteed to them in the Lands Use Act 1978 Which is enshrined in your Constitution of 1999 As Amended. Most are ignorant to what cattle ranching is about, which land belongs to you? Bring the receipt your so called ancestors purchased it for?

Government has to provide infrastructure for institutionalized grazing, just like the States & Federal Government gives fertilizers to Farmers, provides seeds to plant, build access roads, motor parks, Airports, jetty’s, cattle rearers is part of We Nigerians that is why it is embedded on your 200 Naira note & the vast majority of Nigerians love the suya delicacy & can say categorically that there is no Nigerian that hasn’t eaten suya whether rich or poor.

deantimes:


Oga are you not in this country? Let's assume so. Are you telling me the herders have the financial capacity to pay for lands in all the lgas in the country? You're daft if you think so, if you're not, then what stops them from using their money to get lands and ranch? I understand govt should help them but must that be established in all lgas as Buhari requested? That's Fulanisation.

We know Igbos as travellers, they storm a place, hustle, buy lands and build mansions, why is govt not helping them? If you must know, they contribute the lion share to our treasury by paying taxes how many federal roads in their region have the attention of the FG or you think I don't travel there often?

See bro, threatening that I should provide my ancentral land for HERDSMEN or die, like the Presidency said, shows you have a hidden agenda.

There are other animals breeders like chicken, pigs, goats and the rest, why are they not also threatening fire and brimstone like the fulani herders? Or you want to tell me they don't need help also?

Those amenities you mentioned contribute to the national treasury, what has the herders contributed to this country if not terror?

My solution is if they must be ruga, there should do it in the North where we have vast lands and transport their beef to the south, probably in exchange for grasses to feed the animals.

Some Northern states have provided lands for ruga why is the govt not establishing it there? It's because they have a fulanisation agenda which will not work there but across the whole country.

favor914:
It seems you are habituating in one small village, what do you mean by fulanization of Nigeria with that kind of Almijiri mindset?, the diversity of Nigeria is beyond your myopic outlook, which is why we practice a Federal system that makes us unique. it is quite obvious you haven’t been anywhere in body & soul? If you are ignorant to the law that is your prerogative, you have oil you can’t refine it, you have cattle you can’t ranch them, failed democratic system of Government.

deantimes:


Oga are you not in this country? Let's assume so. Are you telling me the herders have the financial capacity to pay for lands in all the lgas in the country? You're daft if you think so, if you're not, then what stops them from using their money to get lands and ranch? I understand govt should help them but must that be established in all lgas as Buhari requested? That's Fulanisation.

We know Igbos as travellers, they storm a place, hustle, buy lands and build mansions, why is govt not helping them? If you must know, they contribute the lion share to our treasury by paying taxes how many federal roads in their region have the attention of the FG or you think I don't travel there often?

See bro, threatening that I should provide my ancentral land for HERDSMEN or die, like the Presidency said, shows you have a hidden agenda.

There are other animals breeders like chicken, pigs, goats and the rest, why are they not also threatening fire and brimstone like the fulani herders? Or you want to tell me they don't need help also?

Those amenities you mentioned contribute to the national treasury, what has the herders contributed to this country if not terror?

My solution is if they must be ruga, there should do it in the North where we have vast lands and transport their beef to the south, probably in exchange for grasses to feed the animals.

Some Northern states have provided lands for ruga why is the govt not establishing it there? It's because they have a fulanisation agenda which will not work there but across the whole country, especially in our oil-rich states.

deantimes:


If I have not travelled, I have gone to at least 12 states of this federation which cuts across the three major tribes. Let's assume I have not and we shall get back to this.

From your above comments, I see i am discussing with a kid. Where were you when the federal government demanded for the establishment of ruga in all the 774 lgas?



When you answer this we continue.

favor914:
States control land in Nigeria not The Federal Government, you complained to big brother Federal Government & they only gave you their advise. Same thing the President told Governor Ortom, create ranches to stop the lawlessness in your state.

favor914:
States control land in Nigeria not The Federal Government, you complained to big brother Federal Government & they only gave you their advise. Same thing the President told Governor Ortom, create ranches to stop the lawlessness in your state.

favor914:
Nigeria is Nigeria, the law is not going to change for you, the sooner you get with the program the better for you, unless you have a scheme like Nnamdi Kanu to flee the scenario, you must master the system before you can conquer it.

limeta:






Lands Use Act 1978 Which is enshrined in your Constitution of 1999 As Amended

Land Use Act. Was created by Obasanjo annd forced on Nigerians.Obasanjo is the author of fulanisation.




Thats all they have
made up for them by them
1999 constitution as amended
bin the shit

limeta:


Lands Use Act 1978 Which is enshrined in your Constitution of 1999 As Amended

Thats all they have
made up for them by them
1999 constitution as amended
bin the shit

favor914:
Bunch of Jokers, the benefactors of the failed democratic system, which restructuring? Charity they say begins at home, start the restructuring from the states, & Local Governments? That is the real Nigeria, not the people sitting down in Abuja playing politics, lack of innovation, very weak IGR.

How much did you Governors collect for the security votes allocation from the Federal Government Since 2015? We have banned open grazing how many times now? like Lagos State & Okada riders always banning, Yet they have ordered 3 malus for the wedding next week? Tell the people the truth, you Governors have approved RUGA? The Lands Use Act 1978 prescribes & gives jurisdiction to the State Governor not more than 500 Hectares at once for grazing as inspired by the champagne rebel.

favor914:
States control land in Nigeria not The Federal Government, you complained to big brother Federal Government & they only gave you their advise. Same thing the President told Governor Ortom, create ranches to stop the lawlessness in your state.

favor914:
There must be compromise, please profess your own solution, who said it was free?, as long as they can prove their Nigerian citizenship like Abubakar Atiku they have as much rights as you & it is provided & guaranteed to them in the Lands Use Act 1978 Which is enshrined in your Constitution of 1999 As Amended. Most are ignorant to what cattle ranching is about, which land belongs to you? Bring the receipt your so called ancestors purchased it for?

Government has to provide infrastructure for institutionalized grazing, just like the States & Federal Government gives fertilizers to Farmers, provides seeds to plant, build access roads, motor parks, Airports, jetty’s, cattle rearers is part of We Nigerians that is why it is embedded on your 200 Naira note & the vast majority of Nigerians love the suya delicacy & can say categorically that there is no Nigerian that hasn’t eaten suya whether rich or poor.

favor914:
It seems you are habituating in one small village, what do you mean by fulanization of Nigeria with that kind of Almijiri mindset?, the diversity of Nigeria is beyond your myopic outlook, which is why we practice a Federal system that makes us unique. it is quite obvious you haven’t been anywhere in body & soul? If you are ignorant to the law that is your prerogative, you have oil you can’t refine it, you have cattle you can’t ranch them, failed democratic system of Government.

favor914:
There must be compromise, please profess your own solution, who said it was free?, as long as they can prove their Nigerian citizenship like Abubakar Atiku they have as much rights as you & it is provided & guaranteed to them in the Lands Use Act 1978 Which is enshrined in your Constitution of 1999 As Amended. Most are ignorant to what cattle ranching is about, which land belongs to you? Bring the receipt your so called ancestors purchased it for?

Government has to provide infrastructure for institutionalized grazing, just like the States & Federal Government gives fertilizers to Farmers, provides seeds to plant, build access roads, motor parks, Airports, jetty’s, cattle rearers is part of We Nigerians that is why it is embedded on your 200 Naira note & the vast majority of Nigerians love the suya delicacy & can say categorically that there is no Nigerian that hasn’t eaten suya whether rich or poor.

favor914:
There must be compromise, please profess your own solution, who said it was free?, as long as they can prove their Nigerian citizenship like Abubakar Atiku they have as much rights as you & it is provided & guaranteed to them in the Lands Use Act 1978 Which is enshrined in your Constitution of 1999 As Amended. Most are ignorant to what cattle ranching is about, which land belongs to you? Bring the receipt your so called ancestors purchased it for?

Government has to provide infrastructure for institutionalized grazing, just like the States & Federal Government gives fertilizers to Farmers, provides seeds to plant, build access roads, motor parks, Airports, jetty’s, cattle rearers is part of We Nigerians that is why it is embedded on your 200 Naira note & the vast majority of Nigerians love the suya delicacy & can say categorically that there is no Nigerian that hasn’t eaten suya whether rich or poor.

favor914:
There must be compromise, please profess your own solution, who said it was free?, as long as they can prove their Nigerian citizenship like Abubakar Atiku they have as much rights as you & it is provided & guaranteed to them in the Lands Use Act 1978 Which is enshrined in your Constitution of 1999 As Amended. Most are ignorant to what cattle ranching is about, which land belongs to you? Bring the receipt your so called ancestors purchased it for?

Government has to provide infrastructure for institutionalized grazing, just like the States & Federal Government gives fertilizers to Farmers, provides seeds to plant, build access roads, motor parks, Airports, jetty’s, cattle rearers is part of We Nigerians that is why it is embedded on your 200 Naira note & the vast majority of Nigerians love the suya delicacy & can say categorically that there is no Nigerian that hasn’t eaten suya whether rich or poor.