Farmer/Herdsmen clash: NOA, stakeholders begin campaign to end feud

AS the incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen continue and many lives and properties destroyed, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), has rallied stakeholders to embark on advocacy in communities to bring farmers and herdsmen together to discuss how both can live in peace.

Speaking at the Peaceful Dialogue Conference in Resolving Inter-Communal Disputes and Violent Conflicts between Fulani Pastoral Herders and Farmers in Nigeria, the Director General of NOA, Dr Garba Abari, said that the continued security challenges in the country have led to loss of lives properties in various parts of the country.

He said ‘Sharing the Green Grass’ which is an advocacy movement by the Agency in collaboration with the National Troupe of Nigeria, is targeted at using the community theatre effort by the Herders and Farmers themselves to restore peaceful dialogue, negotiation and cooperation in inter-communal relations, centred on religious and ethnic tolerance.

His words: “It is no longer news to say that various parts of the country are beset with security issues that continue to pose challenges to our security agencies as these prevalent security issues pose a threat to the peaceful co-existence of citizens.

“Such security challenges have led to loss of precious lives and properties in various parts of the country.

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“We have continued to record cases of violent attacks on Herders, Farmers and innocent Nigerians caught in between these clashes. There have also been disturbing cases of Cattle rustling recorded in Zamfara and other states of the federation. These incidents of reckless mayhem, some of which are driven by political interests have led to the displacement of citizens from their ancestral homes.

“There is no gain saying the fact that these security challenges have taken a huge toll on national revenues and political leadership at various levels. It should be noted that peace, reconciliation and forgiveness have inherent elements that help the process of peace building, harmonious coexistence and national cohesion.

“As the military alongside other security agencies continue campaigns aimed at stemming the tides of disturbing and disruptive violence on the one hand and the government continues its quest for finding lasting solutions to farmers/herders clashes.”

He, therefore, said “It is in recognition of this responsibility that the NOA is partnering with the National Troupe of Nigeria and other stakeholders to deploy peace messages that call for a rethink.

“The ‘Sharing the Green Grass’ advocacy being embarked upon by the National Orientation Agency in collaboration with the National Troupe of Nigeria is a stop-gap measure aimed at encouraging accommodation within the period while the Federal Government is making assiduous efforts to roll out long-lasting solutions.

“The strategy aims to use the community theatre effort by the Herders and Farmers themselves to restore peaceful dialogue, negotiation and cooperation in inter-communal relations, centred on religious and ethnic tolerance.”

Speaking further on the goals of the advocacy move, Dr Abari said it will prevent inter-cultural and inter-communal violent conflicts between Herders and farmers in Nigeria, and also harness cultural institutions in promoting dialogue, understanding and empathy in inter-community relations to transform violent disputes between Herders and farmers into non-adversarial outcomes for community reconciliation.

In his keynote address, the AIG Peace Abdullah outlined the role of religious and community leaders in promoting peace in their communities peaceful coexistence between Herders and farmers.

“As emphasized in the National Security Strategy, communal and ethno-religious conflicts; Pastoralists/Farmers conflicts and related communal violence amongst others are critical threats to Nigeria’s national security interest.

“The threats emanating from these challenges are usually occasioned by the inability of citizens to appreciate our diversities and respect each other’s sensitivities.

“Faith and community-based leaders have the difficult task of providing the requisite inspirational leadership that will strengthen the understanding of the virtues inherent in mutual coexistence and respect for our diversities.

“Any attempt to engage in any act that could threaten this value will not only impact on our National Security but could engender threat to lives and properties.

“It is within this context that one could situate the roles of religious leaders as agents of inter-faith and communal brotherhood and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria. Religious leaders exercise a high level of influence on their faithful and by extension on the nation’s spiritual advancement, peace and security”, he added.