By Pam Moses.

A group Concerned Ron/Kulere People of Bokkos Local Government of Plateau State have advocate for the Adoption of Livestock Alimentation Practice as Panacea to Rampant herders Attacks on crop farmers in Nigeria.

In a Press Conference on Thursday in Jos, the group through it spokesperson Mr Makut Macham said the proposed alimentation practice seeks to replicate the existing practices in poultry farming for cows, pigs, goats, and sheep among others.

Full Press Conference details below:

CALL FOR THE ADOPTION OF LIVESTOCK ALIMENTATION PRACTICE AS PANACEA TO THE RAMPANT HERDERS ATTACKS ON CROP FARMERS IN NIGERIA.

Being a text of a Press Conference by Concerned Ron/Kulere People on Thursday, April 19, 2018 in Jos, Nigeria.

Gentlemen of the press, permit me to express my heartfelt appreciations on behalf of the entire Ron/Kulere community, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, at home and in the diaspora for unwaveringly standing with us since the evil attacks of suspected Fulani herdsmen befell us on 24th January and 8th March 2018 in Daffo District for the first time in the history of the peaceful coexistence of our homeland Ron natives with the Fulani herders. Daffo District is a community of nine aboriginal Clans of Ron natives and a cluster of latter day migrants including the Fulani ethnic group.

I would like to particularly appreciate you for widely publicizing our concerns when we called you to a similar interactive session on 11th March 2018. In addition, when some of our women affected by the satanic attacks of Fulani herdsmen staged a peaceful rally on 12th April 2018 at the Plateau State House of Assembly, Jos to call for attention on the prevailing humanitarian situation bedeviling them and their children, you were there! For these acts of your service to the society, we remain highly grateful.

Today, we have called you again having cried enough on the issues. We realize that constantly wailing and pouring out lamentations would not do us as much good as proffering a solution to the recurrent attacks of herders on crop farmers in Nigeria.

We are very sad to note that even the nation’s security chiefs, the chief law enforcers of the federation as well as including the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari have merely attempted to define the attacks; attributing it to some primordial and proprietary claims.

We consider such level of posturing by key officials of the governance structure of the federation as a subterranean, nay direct way of stoking the crisis and allowing it to continue to fester rather than pushing for a credible incentive-based framework for resolution.

No doubt, government at every level and many other stakeholders have called for an end to the herders-farmers conflict in Nigeria through the establishment of grazing reserves, cattle ranches and the suggestion for cattle colonies.

These measures as appealing as they may seem, have shown from research to have long-term negative effects especially in a complex multi-ethnic society like ours. It is noteworthy that grazing reserves that were basically introduced in the 1960s have turned out as stop-gap initiatives. Ranching which appears popular requires a stocking density of two cows per hectare. In other words, a normal ranch should have not more than two cows in one hectare (that is, 10,000 square metres or 2 football fields).

Considering rapid growth in population and the challenges of urbanization which are gradually increasing the demand for land utilisation in Nigeria, ranching might perhaps not be a viable option in the long-run. In addition, our socio-economic dynamics are obviously inimical to a system of animal husbandry such as cattle colony.

A case in point is the rearing of pigs by people whose beliefs support such within the same so called colony-space shared with cattle herders whose beliefs abhor pigs and the likes.

We note that cattle colonies and the attendant socio-cultural and political consequences of nodal urbanisation indeed have enormous historical implications, which will invariably become an antithesis.

In general, the aboriginal or homeland status over land is derived from rights of first settlement over a territory. This claim is obviously at the root of the resistance by crop farmers towards open grazing of livestock. Consequently, there is a compelling need to shift from the traditional practice of open grazing to a one that fosters peaceful coexistence.

Gentlemen of the press, after deep reflection and a review of experiences livestock herders and crop farmers in other climes, we have come to a conclusion that livestock alimentation practice is the safest and most effective approach to resolving the attacks of herders on crop farmer in Nigeria. In simple terms, livestock alimentation practice involves a system of keeping animals within a confined space, and providing them with adequate nutritional and medical care without having to expose them to open grazing in the country side for pasture.

The proposed alimentation practice seeks to replicate the existing practices in poultry farming for cows, pigs, goats, and sheep among others. This will require a transformation of the existing cattle paddocks otherwise known as hoggo in Fulfulde or shinge in Hausa to feedlots. The alimentation practice or feedlot system of cattle breeding was successfully employed to resolve Tutsi/Hutu genocide in Rwanda.
The proposed policy has a strong potential to rouse a symbiosis between livestock herders and crop farmers as well as spur the emergence of a new economy at the grassroots.

In pursuing the livestock alimentation practice, government at every level would need to develop livestock-specific financing scheme and also provide subsidies as is done elsewhere in the world for agriculture. In addition, livestock-specific infrastructure would need to be put in place value chains in livestock breeding.

Indeed, massive public awareness campaign on livestock alimentation practice is required for the policy being advocated to be a success.

This is where the sustained partnership of the media and leaders of all relevant stakeholders including religious, traditional and interest groups becomes critical. We strongly believe that the presence of you gentlemen of the press and your continued support would do a lot in driving this advocacy to success.

Please be reminded that our desire is to end the rampant attacks of herders on farmer in Nigeria that have characterized our socio-economic system and denied Nigerians the much needed zeal to flourish in their development strides.

We are not a political group, and therefore call upon the concerned authorities to look into the proposed policy of livestock alimentation without prejudice.

Thank you and God bless.

Signed Makut Macham.

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CALL FOR THE ADOPTION OF LIVESTOCK ALIMENTATION PRACTICE AS PANACEA TO THE RAMPANT HERDERS ATTACKS ON CROP FARMERS IN NIGERIA. Being a text of a Press Conference by Concerned Ron/Kulere People on