Frequent Farmers/Herders Clashes Will Cause Food Crisis – Speaker

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas says frequent clashes between farmers and herders in the country wil cause a major food crisis in the country if not addressed urgently.

The speaker, who was represented by his deputy, Benjamin Kalu, disclosed this during the flag-off of a stakeholders’ interactive session held at the instance of the Ad-hoc Committee on the ‘Recurring clashes between Farmers and Herders In Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of Gombe, and neighbouring Local Government Areas, including other regions of the country with similar incidents’.

The Speaker who said no fewer than 60,000 Nigerians across the country have so far lost their lives during the unabated farmers-herders clashes since 2001 said more efforts must be put in place to end the ugly situation which he said also has adverse implications on national security.

According to the Speaker, the task before the committee is very critical and of utmost national importance as it directly affects both national and food security and is a matter that has lingered for decades.

He tasked the committee, to uncover the facts, identify the remote and immediate causes of herder-farmer clashes in Yamaltu – Deba and other regions, interrogate the degree of loss of lives and property, and recommend policy and legislative solutions.

The chairman of the committee, Aliyu Bappa Misau said the issues faced by farmers and herders have reached a critical juncture, demanding immediate attention and collaborative efforts to find sustainable solutions.

He said the committee will look into the long-standing tension between farmers and herders which has escalated, leading to conflicts over land and _ resources, competition for grazing areas and water sources which has resulted in violence and loss of lives and property on both sides.

He further stated that “to address the root cause of these problems in the country, the house has resolved to use multi-faced approach that integrates the effort of Governments, private sector, Civil Society Organizations while exploring investments in agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation systems, storage facilities, rural road network conflict resolution and land management, continued investment in agricultural research and development, enhancing skills and knowledge of farmers and herders (Education and Capacity Building).”

On his part, the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu represented by Professor Abdullahi Ya’u lamented that farmers-herders conflict has taken more lives than most of the crises seen in the country and the problem is still ongoing affecting the nation’s collective socio-economic interests.

In a memorandum submitted by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore titled ‘Memorandum On Disputes between Farmers and Herders in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area, Gombe State, showed that farmers/herders conflicts have significant impacts on the livelihood of Nigerians in Yamaltu-Deba and other places.

Similarly, in a presentation by its national president,Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN), Khali Mohammed Bello, stated that failure of states and federal governments to take sustainable actions contributed a lot to the escalation of the conflict.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji