Buhari has embraced ranching – Ortom

By Ibraheem Musa

Abuja

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state has said that even President Muhammadu Buhari, a Fulani man, has “now embraced ranching because it remains the best way of breeding cattle.”
The governor, who disclosed this at an interactive session with journalists yesterday, said “ranching remains the global best practice of breeding cattle.”
“I saw a picture on social media, of Mr. President, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who is a Fulani man, has also learnt to ranch his cattle, and they are looking very, very healthy. That’s what I’m saying that we should do, so that we can stop these meaningless killings and destructions of lives and property from both sides,” he said.
Governor Ortom further argued that if we can borrow presidential system from America, why can’t we borrow cattle ranching from America and apply to Nigeria?”
He said Southern African countries like Swaziland where beef export were their major source of revenue earning, “have long embraced ranching, likewise East African countries like Kenya and Tanzania.”
Ortom also said “there is now peace in Benue state since the government started implementing the Anti-Open Grazing law which came into effect on November 1, 2017, as clashes between herdsman and farmers have ceased.
He said apart from curbing the frequent famers/herdsmen clashes, the “law seeks to protect herdsmen from cattle rustlers because as I talk to you, any herd of cattle that we see moving around, we will know that it is from cattle rustlers, otherwise those who engage in open grazing have found alternative sites outside Benue state.”
According to him, violators of the Anti Open Grazing Law are being prosecuted.
“We had cases of herdsmen who shot four people, they were apprehended and all of them have been arraigned and they are now in Makurdi federal prison.’’
He said altogether, 17 Fulani had violated the law since it came into force “and they are in detention,” adding that the government will follow due process in order for the law to take its course.
Ortom also said that some Benue state youths who attacked some herdsmen and killed their cattle “have also been arrested and have been arraigned and are currently in prison custody.”

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