Call For Repeal Of Open Grazing Prohibition Law Unjustified – Benue Govt

The Benue State Government again deems it necessary to as a matter of urgency react to certain statements made by the Hon. Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali yesterday at the State House after a security meeting at the Presidency.

In a widely reported statement, Mansur Dan-Ali yesterday 5th June, 2018 had suggested the suspension of the Anti-Open Grazing Law in States like Benue where the law is operational. He also called for the negotiation of safe cattle routes for the herders. 

His statement listed several other states including Kaduna and Zamfara where armed Fulani herdsmen militia have continuously carried out genocide.

It should be noted that these two States do not have laws banning open grazing yet they have not been spared, just like Adamawa, Plateau, Kogi and Nasarawa where there are no such laws. 

Meanwhile, several Fulani groups have come out to declare that the issue at stake is not open grazing but conquest and occupation.

Indeed, the scorched earth manner of the attacks by herdsmen militia whose name has been unwittingly changed to armed bandits indicate that the stake could be anything but open grazing. 

It should be noted that this is the second time that the Defence Minister, Mansur Dan Ali would abdicate the responsibilities of his office as defender of Nigeria’s territorial integrity and descend so low to become champion of Fulani herds-men’s interest. He justified incessant herdsmen unprovoked attacks on the so called blockade of cattle roots and grazing reserves.

He spoke as if this is a justifiable reason for Fulani militia taking the law into their hands.By his call, Dan Ali has restated his partisanship and support for Fulani conquest and occupation of the Benue Valley and other fertile lands in the country.

We want Nigerians and the international community to compel the Hon. Minister to quickly prove to the Benue people that he has no personal scores to settle in this crisis or is playing the script of some unknown people. We would like him to respond to the following questions in the interest of fairness, justice and equity.

Is the State House of Assembly of a State in Nigeria constitutionally empowered to make laws for the promotion of peace, development and welfare of the people in the State? How come Mansur Dan-Ali is calling for the negotiation of safe cattle routes for the herders without a single mention of farmers who have been violently dislodged from their homes and farms? Who would take the responsibility of taking care of the needs of these farmers who have lost their means of livelihood with their farms and crops destroyed by herdsmen militia armed with dangerous weapons? Who would avert the looming famine in Benue state on account of this mindless destructions of lives and farming communities? Why has the Minister of Defence not made a single reference to the plight of the 180,000 Benue indigenes taking refuge in eight IDPs camps in Benue? These people are also Nigerians who deserve to have a sense of belonging in Nigeria. Most of these people are farmers who could not go back to their farms for fear of being attacked by herdsmen who are still carrying out sporadic attacks on Benue communities as we speak. 

Fulani herdsmen militia at about three (3) am today attacked Tse Shan in Saghev Guma Local Government Area leaving behind eight corpses, several missing and many injured.

Chairman of Guma Local Government Area, Mr.Anthony Shawon submitted the report to the Special adviser on security,Colonel Paul Hemba retired.

He said the victims included two students who came to write the National Examination Council NECO in the Community.

Mr.Shawon stated that both the dead and the injured are being conveyed to Gbajimba General Hospital.

The Chairman stated that he also received information that while retreating, the militia attacked several people along their routes with one body discovered along the road in Logo Local Government Area.

The reports stated that the Commander of the Seventy Two Special Forces Battalion dispatched soldiers to the scene of the attack who found out that the attackers had left.

Is the Hon. Minister of Defence speaking for himself or on behalf of the Federal Government because his latest outbursts is completely at variance with the position taken by the National Economic Council on ranching headed by His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President. The NEC at it recent meeting endorsed the practice of ranching in states experiencing clashes between farmers and herders. In the same vein, the Northern Governors’ Forum also issued a statement recently supporting the ranching of livestock as the best form of animal husbandry that guarantees increased productivity of dairy products. The Ministry of Agriculture was also part of the National Economic Council that came out publicly to support ranching. Based on this available facts, the Minister of Defence, occupying such a sensitive office should please clarify on whose side he is in these herdsmen crisis in Benue and other States.

We call on Mansur Dan-Ali to, as a matter of urgency, withdraw this highly offensive statement against Benue States and the victims of herdsmen killings in the State. Over 500 Benue indigenes have so far lost their lives to herdsmen invasion of parts of the State. We view this latest statement as only serving to embolden these herdsmen militia to unleash more attacks on Benue as the various Miyetti Allah groups have used the anti-open grazing law to invade Benue and lay false claim on the ancestral land of the Benue people. The Defence Minister is yet to publicly call for the arrest and prosecution of the Miyetti Allah leaders who have openly threaten more bloodshed in Benue on account of the anti-open grazing law.

The Benue state government headed by Governor Samuel Ortom would not relent on working within peaceful means in line with the rule of law to restore peace. We call on the Benue people to remain calm and continue to report suspicious movements to the security agencies and remain vigilant.                 

We wish to reiterate that Nigeria’s Constitution empowers states to make laws for there good governance and the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017 was made in this regard. The Ranching Law is a creation of the people of Benue State who enacted it to provide a permanent solution to the herders and farmers constant clashes.

There is no going back on the implementation of the law as prosecution of offenders is going on smoothly.

We have no apologies to the Minister of Defence or anyone.

Lawrence Onoja Jnr
Hon. Commissioner for Information and Orientation
Benue State