Falana Faults Presidency’s Approval To Review Grazing Reserves

Human Rights Activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana has faulted the Presidency’s approval to review grazing reserves in 25 states in the country.

Falana who was a guest on Channels TV’s “Sunday Politics”, at the weekend said: “we’ve gone beyond this stage of looking for grazing routes”.

“As far as the law is concerned, the President cannot, (with profound respect), be talking of looking for grazing routes in 2021.

“The Northern Governor Forum, the Southern Governors Forum, and even the Miyetti Allah group have all come to a conclusion that open grazing is obsolete,” he added.

His comments come days after President Muhammadu Buhari approved recommendations of a committee to review “with dispatch,” 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in the country, “to determine the levels of encroachment.”

Among other things, the Committee recommended the production of maps and geo-mapping/tagging of sites, analysis of findings and report preparations as well as design appropriate communication on Grazing Reserves and operations.

This comes as the nation battles insecurity, including farmer-herder clashes.

But efforts by the Federal Government to resolve the age-long crises including the introduction of the Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) have met stiff opposition.

Many believe ranching is a better approach to the problem.

“We need a national resolution of this crisis. We need a scientific solution. We need a modern solution to this problem,” Falana said.

“State governors are already investing in ranching”.

Meanwhile, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval to review grazing reserves in 25 states in the country.

According to a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Terver Akase on Friday, Governor Ortom said with the move, it appeared that the President was turning Nigeria into a ‘cow republic’.

“We were shocked and disappointed to read a statement from the Presidency indicating that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved recommendations of a committee to review “with dispatch,” 368 grazing sites across 25 states in the country, “to determine the levels of encroachment,” the statement read in part.

“In a country where insecurity has reached an all-time high with hundreds being killed by armed herdsmen, bandits and other terrorists, the Presidency is only bordered about animals and their safety and is deploying all machinery and arsenals of government to impose grazing reserves and cattle routes on Nigerians. This is unacceptable!,” he added.

Speaking further, the governor accused the Buhari administration of “turning a blind eye to the unimaginable levels of encroachment on lands belonging to Nigerians by cattle”.

“Mr President has never come out even once to condemn activities of herdsmen and the attacks they visit on innocent people. The only time the President is heard speaking about atrocities of the herders is when he defends them.

“It is now clear that the Presidency wants to plunge the country into avoidable crisis. Otherwise, what is the justification for President Buhari’s insistence that grazing reserves be established across the country when Nigerians have openly kicked against the policy and have embraced ranching in place of open grazing?”.

According to channelstv.com, the decision comes at a time when the nation is battling insecurity, especially the lingering crisis between farmers and herders.

Efforts by the Federal Government to resolve the age-long clashes including the introduction of the Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) have met stiff opposition.

The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) had met on February 9 and agreed that the current system of herding mainly by open grazing is no longer sustainable, in view of the growing urbanisation and population of the country.

The Forum, consequently, resolved to sensitise herders on the need to adopt ranching as an alternative method of rearing animals.

This is also the stance of the Benue Governor who has, long before now, lamented that millions of Nigerians have been displaced following attacks by armed herders and are currently suffering in IDP camps.

“Benue State for instance has over 1.5 million displaced people with thousands living in camps and many more forced to flee their ancestral lands to stay under dehumanizing conditions in open fields.

“The Buhari administration does not seem to be worried about the food crisis already ravaging the country. Farmers have been chased into IDP camps by herders and children are dying of starvation in addition to being denied education, yet what is more important to their President is the wellbeing of cows,” Governor Ortom was quoted to have said in part.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved recommendations of a committee to review “with dispatch,” 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in the country, “to determine the levels of encroachment.”

The President’s directive followed his approval of the recommendations of a committee chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, a statement signed by presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu on Thursday said.

Among others, the committee had recommended the collection of field data on 368 Grazing Reserves across 25 states to assess encroachment and encroachers, stakeholder engagements and sensitization, the statement added.

The Committee also recommended production of maps and geo-mapping/tagging of sites, analysis of findings and report preparations as well as design appropriate communication on Grazing Reserves and operations.

The number of the Grazing Reserves and States were deduced from considerations of existing security concerns and other pre-existing socio-economic conditions.

The President directed that the assignment be undertaken with dispatch to bring more understanding on the Grazing Reserves, and implementation.

Members of the committee include, Governor of Kebbi State and Vice Chairman, National Food Security Council, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Governor of Ebonyi State and Chairman of NEC Sub-Committee for National Livestock Transformation Plan, David Umahi, Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar and Deputy Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye.

The Technical Sub-Committee consists of representatives from the seven members of the main committee in addition to representatives from Ministry of Justice, Surveyor General of the Federation, National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) and National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA).

Among its Terms of Reference, the Committee was to collate from states and confirm the status of all Grazing Reserves, assess the percentage of available land and those with existing encroachment complications for case-by-case resolution in partnership with state governments and the FCT.

The Committee will also make recommendations for gazetting of ungazetted Grazing Reserves and create a data base of National Cattle Herders and ensure that Grazing Reserves are well communicated to all stakeholders.

The inaugural meeting of the Committee was held on May 10, 2021.