… Wants FG to retrieve ranches sold to politicians
A Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Niger state, Jonathan Vatsa has joined other stakeholders to call for the ban on open Grazing made by the Southern Governors, saying the ban will reduce the growing tension and Insecurity that has bedevilled parts of the country.
Vatsa who was a former Publicity Secretary of the APC in Niger state said that the decision by the Southern Governors to ban open Grazing should not be seen as a declaration of war against Herdsmen as being perceived by a section of the country,
Speaking to newsmen in Minna shortly after the1999 constitutional review public hearing for North Central zone, Vatsa believed that open Grazing is an outdated system of rearing cattle and no longer acceptable, stressing that “I think it’s only in Africa that we still practice open gazing”.
The former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism said the ban will not only reduce tension but also reduce the high level of insecurity in the parts of the country.
Accordingly, he said “I strongly urged the southern governors to stand by their decision. We should not politicize it because open Grazing is no longer fashionable and must go back reaching as the solution to the current security challenges in parts of the country”.
He urged governments at all levels to as a matter of urgency, reclaim all government ranches acquired by individuals in the country and put them into use.
“The government must reclaim all the ranches that have been sold to individuals in the country without compensation. There are ranches all over the North but unfortunately these ranches have been sold to politicians.
“The government must take them back from these buyers. Nigeria population is increasing and there is high demand for lands, therefore open Grazing will continue to bring frictions between the farmers and the herders”.
Vatsa who is the Coordinator on Public Affairs to Governor Sani Bello of Niger state, pointed out that the current Banditry activities especially in the North started from farmers/herders clashes, adding that “gradually they began to arm themselves for retaliations and now the situation has gone out of control.
“Those recruited to act as militant wings are now using the guns for a different thing and even against the Herdsmen. They are using the guns to rustle cattle from the herdsmen.
“So we must embrace ranching and put a stop to open Grazing. The herders will see the benefit in long run because their cattle will be safe from the hands of these bandits”.
He therefore warned that until the government put a stop to open Grazing in the country, Insecurity will persist, adding “the routes the bandits are using are all cattle routes”.
