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General News of Friday, 21 May 2021

Source: legit.ng

Miyetti Allah finally bows to pressure, backs Southern Governors on open grazing ban

The governors in the southern part of Nigeria had put an embargo on open grazing in the region. The governors in the southern part of Nigeria had put an embargo on open grazing in the region.

Amid the raging controversy on the ban on open grazing, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has finally backed the position of southern governors on the issue.

Daily Trust reports that while addressing a press conference in Kaduna on Thursday, May 20, the national patron of MACBAN, Senator Walid Jibrin, said the ban would address the farmers-herders crisis in the country.

According to report, he said that cattle rearing has been in Africa for over 100 years without any consideration to the free movement of cattle (open grazing) or any grazing reserve.

He said this was carried out because at that time there were few herders, farmers and cattle, especially in Nigeria, stressing that currently, the population has increased with modern technique of farming consuming land tremendously.

The Nation also reports that Senator Jibrin, who is also the Sarkin Fulani Nasarawa, said, with the current concern on cattle rearing in Africa especially Nigeria, there is a need to look at how best this practice would be carried out successfully.

He said: “When you look at the practice of open grazing in Nigeria compared with what is happening Internationally, Nigeria can never continue with traditional open grazing practice. In order to effect a change, the Fulani elites should be bold enough to come out with alternatives to open grazing and advise the Fulanis in Nigeria accordingly."

He added that he has fully observed the feeling of many groups and individuals in Nigeria about open grazing, saying that there is so much condemnation from Nigerian governors, northern governors, southern governors among others.

Jibril noted that the groups and individuals should never be condemned and must be praised for their bold comments trying to modernise and improve cattle rearing in Nigeria. The northern leader stated:

“Nigeria must remain one entity and one Nigeria as against what is happening now. We should rely more on dialogue and mediation with herders, Fulani leaders, Traditional rulers and our Governors in order to end this feud."