To forestall clashes between farmers and herdsmen in his community, the chairman of Iseyin Local Government, Hon Muftau Abilawon has mandated a compulsory periodic meeting between herders and farmers in communities within Iseyin Local government area of Oyo State.
Abilawon made this known at the weekend during a peace meeting between the herders and farmers, facilitated by the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Iseyin chapter yesterday at the Iseyin town hall.
The Chairman who was represented by the Deputy Director of Agriculture in the local government, Alhaja Adeniran Quadijat, explained that all the programmes the local government has in store for farmers and the agricultural sector in the council area are predicated on putting an end to the incessant disagreement between farmers and herdsmen.
According to the council head, a numbered cape has been provided and it would be given to herdsmen at their various locations within the local government which they must mandatorily wear anytime they are going about their business, adding that this will help to easily identify the Fulani Bororo causing trouble across communities and those that migrate from other locations to cause disaffection.
He stressed further that a form will be distributed to herders to get accurate information on their identity, location and number of the cattle in order to have a database and curb destruction of farmland and produce.
The Chairman of Myetti Allah Association in Iseyin, Alhaji Sanni Mohammed, both parties to give peace a chance and support one another, adding that they should go about their businesses in a peaceful manner and learn to live symbiotically and in harmony.
He further advised that such peaceful meetings between herders and farmers should be frequent, adding that it should come up at least twice a month so as to further cement the spirit of oneness and unity they have now enjoy.
Apostle Emmanuel Adekunle Elegbede, the former Chairman All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) stressed the need for farmers and herders to have a basic understanding of how the society should operate for development, adding that, “nothing is bad except criminal acts.
“Harmony and conflicts are mere reflections of attitude and peoples’ mentality that every normal human being has in his anatomy; the dove and the hyena, each individual is a hyena and dominant in certain situations while such an individual can be a dove in some other circumstances.
“Friendship is good and hostility is bad absolutely, therefore everyone in this context; farmers and herders should respect each other’s rights and set bounds of activities,” he said.
Apostle Emmanuel also quoted a principle of the Law of Torts; sic utere tuo at alienum non laedas, which means use your property well so as not to damage others. While explaining the factors responsible for the conflicts, border porosity, language barrier, open grazing and destruction of crops among other issues, he said that the Federal Government can fix some of the challenges by taking a step in that direction, reiterating that the understanding between farmers and herders will go a long way in fixing majority of the problems.
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