The Sultan of Sokoto and the President-General of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar has promised to personally spearhead a campaign for a peaceful resolution of Tiv/Fulani clashes in Benue, Nasiriya and Taraba states where such deadly incidences are regular. The skirmishes have always been between stealthy itinerant Fulani herdsmen and the confrontational, loudmouthed farmers. What had invariably been responsible for that was the annexation of the traditional routes of the nomads, thereby denying them access to greener pastures, thus preventing them from grazing their animals.
In recent times, the unrest, arising from the incessant herders/farmers clash in Benue State, has reached intolerable level with many innocent lives lost and an appreciable number of properties indiscriminately destroyed in haphazard manner. With the Sultan’s optimism of a speedy and amicable resolution of the destructive conflict after a new Tor Tiv has been installed, affected states are now advised to urgently reopen fresh discussions that could possibly help in bringing a speedy end to the lingering crisis.
This is indeed a commendable development, coming from a monarch who cares and is extremely concerned about the welfare of his people. Those involved in the long, preventable violent disputes should, therefore, welcome this development and see it as a genuine opportunity for regaining the elusive peace in their areas. In fact, unremitting violent clashes between itinerant Fulani herdsmen and sedentary ethnic farmers in some parts of the federation have elicited fierce debates on the need to control the influx of large herd of animals of the same kind that live, feed and travel as a group under the supervision of one or few people that provide safety, protection and comfort. Such debates led to long and heated arguments that tapered into hot disagreements in which different views have been expressed angrily on the necessity for the creation of grazing reserves or zones for the nomadic herders.
The divergence of opinion as to the absolute need of establishing the grazing zones for the nomads was borne out of the deep suspicion and mistrust of the ethnic farmers on whose lands the herders encroach, especially as that provides a vexatious situation warranting recriminations over destroyed crops by the herds and the consequent reprisals by the irritable farmers.
These occasional but dangerous clashes between the nomadic Fulani herdsmen and sedentary farmers in some remote rural areas repeatedly leave in their wake wanton destructions of lives and properties.
These were said to be the reasons why the federal government had muted the idea of creating grazing zones across the country with a view to checkmating such unnecessary clashes between the herders and the farmers. The government, however, believes that the idea of establishing such grazing zones would provide an enduring solution to the frequent clashes.
Accordingly, the government intended to provide such amenities where the herdsmen would tend to their animals, and will subsequently grow special grasses in the southern parts of the country to feed the cattle bounded in these special facilities in the north. That idea did not go down well with some people especially the state governors who had been facing mounting opposition against contemplating such deed, considered practically impossible by their kinsmen already blinded by tribal hatred and ethnic chauvinism.
However, the Senate had recently indicated, in a recent debate on three harmonized bills for the provision of grazing or cattle reserves in some states of the federation, that the federal government has no constitutional rights to do so as that was an exclusive legislative preserve of the state governments. This is an issue that should top the Sultan’s agenda as he attempts to find peaceful solution to the incessant conflicts on grazing rights which has always been the sole reason for occasional friction.
The Sultan should, therefore, endeavor to encourage state governments or even the motley association of cattle breeders to sponsor a bill to that effect in their respective state legislatures. With the enactment of such laws the Fulani herdsmen could either be restricted to specifically designated areas or be confined to special ranches to tend to their animals while the farmers may no longer entertain any fear about possible destruction of their crops by the strayed herds.
Another equally worrisome vice is cattle rustling which currently devastates large percentage of nomadic Fulani in addition to sedentary mixed-farmers across many grazing areas in most parts of Northern states. Accordingly, growing concerns have greeted the rising incidence of cattle theft and accompanying rape of women and children by cattle rustlers. These vile activities had also resulted in conflicts, deaths and loss of means of livelihood to countless number of cattle breeders across the country. The resultant factor has also evolved into a pattern of organized crime with immense lawlessness and adeptness. Now, with the new initiative by Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar to effect quick and effective resolution of herders/farmers clash it is expected that most of the problems associated with it would soon become history.
