In a bid to foster peaceful co-existence among the various ethnic nationalities resident in Ekiti State, Governor Kayode Fayemi has inaugurated a peace committee tagged Ekiti State Farmers-Herders Peace Committee.
The governor, while inaugurating them charged members of the committee to work closely with various communities, traditional rulers and security agencies to ensure that Farmers-Herders clashes become things of the past in the state.
The governor, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Brig. Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana (retd) reminded the gathering of the resolution reached at its maiden meeting late November 2020, where members of the committee were nominated for his approval.
Fayemi said that the committee must live up to expectation at establishing all-year-round peace among the inhabitants of the state, particularly, in the interior communities.
He said further that herdsmen in Ekiti State would register with the state Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and issued with means of identification to separate genuine herders from criminal elements.
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The governor stressed further that the activities of the peace committee would be coordinated by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Agricultural Development Programme, while the committee was saddled with the responsibility of appointing leaders of the herdsmen in various communities of their residence.
According to the governor, these leaders would be held responsible in case of any break down of law and order in such a community.
The Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers, Oba Ajibade Alabi, who was represented by the Onisan of Isan Ekiti, Oba Gabriel Adejuwon, commended the proactive step being taken by the governor at putting up an effective mechanism that would end criminality among migrating herdsmen in the state.
Oba Alabi charged members of the committee and others responsible for the registration to discharge their duties according to the laid down guidelines, adding that the committee should extend its services to the middle of the night when most of the crimes are perpetrated on the farms.
Fayemi inaugurates farmers, herders peace committee in Ekiti
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