Anti-Grazing Law: I’m not Anti-Fulani, Says Fayose

Anti-Grazing Law: I’m not Anti-Fulani, Says Fayose

*Meets Miyetti Allah’s leaders

Contrary to insinuations that he was out to make life difficult for the Fulani people living in Ekiti State, the state Governor,  Ayodele Fayose, has declared that the passage of the anti-grazing law should not be interpreted to mean  he is anti-Fulanis.

To resolve the logjam created by the law, Fayose and leaders of the

Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), the umbrella body of cattle rearers, today met in Ado-Ekiti to iron out grey areas in the enforcement of the anti-grazing Law in the state.

The meeting, which took place at the Government House, had the state executives of MACBAN and representatives from across the local governments in attendance.

The visibly elated Fayose said he was indeed happy  that the leaders of MACBAN decided to contact the state government instead of listening to rumours being peddled around by the opposition.

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"I have nothing against you or any other ethnic group. Nobody should bring politics into this matter. If a Yoruba person destroys your property I will defend you too. Leaders are not supposed to discriminate, and as a leader, I don't discriminate. The law of the

land is not against anybody who obeys it but those who flout it. It is the people destroying other people's farms that are causing this problem.

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"We have given lands to people to farm and they have paid many years to use the lands and when somebody now comes and destroys their means of livelihood and make them suffer losses, we won't allow that.‎ It ‎is the bad people that make others suffer. If anybody says

Fayose is after Hausa or Fulani people, that person has no sense.

“During my first term, I appointed a man from Malunfashi as a Special Adviser. This term too, I appointed Musa Kanga into the Pilgrims Welfare Board.

"In Oke Ako-Ekiti last May, two persons were killed, people's wives raped by those hiding under the guise of rearing cattle. I have 83 cows too and I have told the person taking care of them that if he goes against the law and any of them is seized, he will be responsible for that," he said.

Fayose also emphasised against leading cows along major roads and city centres, saying such act had caused fatal vehicular accidents in the past.

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"If you have not been to London or America, I guess some of you have

been to Mecca, did you see cattle breeders leading their cattle across

city centres and major roads, with the cows defecating everywhere?

“This is not done, and it is not that the people in those places don't have cows they breed too," he stressed.

On the claim that marshals appointed to enforce the anti-grazing law‎ were shooting cows, the governor said it was untrue, adding that the marshals were not armed.

On the demand by the MACBAN leaders that they be part of the patrol teams to enforce the law, the governor acceded and commended their efforts to support his administration in getting rid of bad eggs among the cattle breeders.

The governor also said a meeting of community leaders, government officials, MACBAN members and security agents would hold later in the

week for further deliberations.

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