Sanusi, Miyetti Allah Support Ekiti Anti-Open Grazing Law


Image result for Emir of kano


 …As Fayose grants  amnesty to four herders


The Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on Monday backed the anti-open grazing law enacted to regulate grazing of cattle in Ekiti State, describing the law as appropriately fashioned to protect the farmers and cattle rearers.


The prominent traditional ruler and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association on Nigeria (MACBAN), also appealed to the marauding Fulani herdsmen to drop their guns and stop senseless killings in the interest of Nigeria’s unity and progress.

The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, had also granted amnesty to four headers suspected to be terrorizing Oke Ako-Ipao-Irele axis of the state causing deaths of innocent people.



The governor ordered them to submit their arms to the security agencies and leave the state in their own interest, regretting that the activities of the suspected herdsmen were causing crisis in the area.




They spoke in Ado Ekiti during a stakeholders’ meeting convened to

resolve the killings being allegedly perpetrated by some herdsmen in

the state .



Sanusi, who was represented by former Governor of Kano State, Alhaji

Ibrahim Shekarau, said the message of peace became imperative in view of disunity being deeply entrenched in the country as a result of series of massacres being carried out in some states of the federation.



“My mission is not politics, it is about peace and peaceful coexistence of our country. The Emir mandated me to come here with the leadership of Miyetti Allah and find out how we can work amicably.

“He feels that as a patron of the group, he must ensure peace, and lauded Fayose for promoting peace.



"The law the governor enacted is the best to defend the rights of farmers and cattle breeders. Whoever crosses the red line should be dealt with as the law provides-that breeders should obey the rules of the communities they reside.



“The governor anti-open grazing law is the best of its kind for peaceful co-existence among Nigerians. Anybody who studies the law will know that it protects all parties.



“While farmers must protect their farms, I advise the Fulani herdsmen to stop night grazing. This law must be strictly observed, and whoever fails to comply with it must face the full weight of the law.

 “But we won’t tolerate criminals, thieves, hoodlums who may want to hide under the name of a certain ethnic group to cause trouble; this is unacceptable and we won’t tolerate it.



“I want to tell the Miyetti Allah to ensure that their members comply with the law. We want to assure the governor that we are with him and we shall continue to support him,” the emir said.



Sanusi thanked the royal fathers for midwifing peace in their domains, saying this has gone a long way in stemming the tide of crisis in the country.



The National President of Miyetti Allah, Alhaji Muhammadu Kirowa Zuru, and the zonal Chairman of the association, Alhaji Muhammed Kabir Laban, said the killings associated with Fulani herdsmen in Ipao and other towns were not perpetrated by their members in Ekiti State.



Zuru said: “The problem being experienced by herdsmen in Ogun State is more than that of Ekiti State because as we speak, we have over three million herders in Ogun State with cows and we are trying to regulate them.



“We have lived peacefully with Yoruba people in the last 200 years and we shall do everything to ensure that no killing is witnessed any longer in the state.”


Fayose, who lauded Emir Sanusi and the Sultan of Sokoto for their interventions, said the essence of the meeting was to find peaceful means of resolving issues instead of beating the drums of war.



According to Fayose, "A criminal is the one that should be so treated. Our interest is peace. As we are interested in the welfare of everybody, we must not allow criminal elements to go free.



“I heard that four herdsmen who entered Ekiti State from Kogi State were terrorising us. I want them to submit their arms, not necessarily to me, and leave the state immediately.



“Our relationship goes beyond cows. We must respect one another, and we will cooperate to achieve result. We want Ekiti State to be a shining example and anybody that needs to be charged to court or fined will be so disciplined."
Fayose also said herders in government forest reserves must come out and register with local government authorities or they would be treated as those causing trouble in the state.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Drug Insecurity: House Urges FG to Fund Indigenous Drug Research

Population of Doctors in Nigeria Hits 74,543

Environmental Groups Want Agip to Clean Bayelsa Oil Spill Site