The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, states that the farmer/herder disputes need a real-time, practically-oriented service.
Malami stated this on Saturday at the AB Dikko memorial seminar keeping in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi.
In a declaration by Dr Umar Gwandu, SA Media and Public Relations Workplace of the Attorney-General provided in Abuja, Malami required stakeholders’ engagement to resolve the drawn-out farmer– herder dispute in the nation.
“The much better method towards dealing with the crisis over the brief, medium and long terms are to directly involve the stakeholders at the conception, application and tracking phases”.
He stated that the community-oriented technique is likely to yield higher dividend in diffusing and eventually getting rid of the menace that has slowed down economic development and created wide-spread insecurity.
The Minister kept in mind that dealing with farmer-herder crisis from simply theoretical viewpoints typically divorced from truth.
“Without synchronisation with the needs and aspirations of the involved stakeholders it is not only counter-productive, however inimical to the development and nourishment of a serene and flourishing Nigeria”, but the Minister also stated.
He, therefore, advocated the setting-up of regulated grazing reserves to replace the “Burtali” or “Hurumi” pastoral system.
He said that intensive knowledge of livestock breeders on the need for sedentary farming and transhumance farming as a complimentary financial procedure to nomadic farming is necessary.
He said provision of water holes in remote grazing areas, subsidized veterinary care and mobile ambulatory services for surgeries and other medical interventions for animals would be of
terrific help.
He also emphasised the need for providing social amenities, instructional facilities and cattle markets at central locations to accelerate nomadic settlements.
Malami stated educating communities on the need for peaceful co-existence and neighbourhood engagement fora for bridge-building in community relations, are of utmost significance.
According to the Minister, revamping the activities of the Nomadic Education Commission with a view to matching the efforts of the federal government is vital in solving the farmer-herder clashes.