AU to intervene in farmers/herdsmen clash

HOPE  has risen to end the crisis between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria as African Union (AU) will in its next conference wade into the crisis to see how it could be resolved.

This was disclosed in Abuja by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh at the Town Hall meeting organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture.

It will be recalled that the clash between Fulani herdsmen and farmers has lingered for many years leading to loss of lives and properties even after the leaders of the two faction had met to resolve the crisis but their efforts were abortive.

Also, Recently, the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had set up a special task force trained by the Nigerian Military to protect farmers from herdsmen attack.

Speaking at the town hall meeting, Chief Ogbeh said the clash between farmers and herdsmen has become a serious security issue that needs to be tackled.

He said a memo on the crisis was sent to President Muhammadu Buhari which he has taken up to AU and other West African countries, which in the next AU Conference, Stakeholders will be engaged to find out ways to tackle the crisis.

His words: “The conflict between farmers and herdsmen is a serious issue of security, we are going to table the matter in the next AU conference. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Finance will be leading the way.

“We wrote to a memo to Mr President and he took it up that at the level of AU and West Africa, we will engage the World Bank and others to deal with it and stop this outdated style of rearing cattle.

The Minister also said to avoid further conflicts, other countries in the West Africa will be asked to contain their own herdsmen while Nigeria control its own.

“We are trying to get every country in West Africa to contain their own Cattle and we will deal with own ours here, otherwise they keep coming, we don’t want conflict, people misinterprete it, but we have to deal with it.

Ogbeh further said for the crisis to be resolved, “we need ranches, that is the only way forward”.