Regulate activities of Cattle Rearers, EDHA urges Edo govt BENIN CITY- Edo State House of Assembly yesterday adopted a resolution calling on the state government to set-up a task force to regulate the movement of cattle rearers and cattle grazing in the state. The adoption of the resolution followed the consideration of the report of the House standing committee on Agriculture at the committee of the whole. The petition was titled, “Imminent Breakdown of law and order between indigenes of Odighi community and the Fulani cattle rearers in the same community. The 10 point findings of the report revealed that the people of Odighi and Odiguetue in Ovia North East Local Government Area who are predominantly farmers had their farmland, destroyed by the excessive grazing activities of cattle belonging to Hausa/ Fulani herdsmen in the 2 communities, this development resulted in violent and bloody clashes between the farmers and the cattle rearers. The findings further revealed that from evidence presented to members of the committee during their scheduled visit to the communities, it was learnt that the only source of water for the people was polluted by the grazing cattle. This, according to the report culminated in the killing of three cows by youths from the communities. It was also revealed from the findings that a recent near breakdown of law and order in the communities inwhich a farmer was killed by a cattle rearer who was in turn killed by the indigenes of the communities, was averted by the timely intervention of the state commissioner of police. The visible absence of the presence of any police post in the communities was highlighted as a catalyst for the escalation of the violent clashes between the communities and Hausa/Fulani herdsmen. Parliament during deliberations approved the four point recommendations of the report which included that the Hausa-Fulani cattle rearers should as a matter of urgency remove all their cattle in Odighi and Odiguetue communities within two weeks, in order to forestall a breakdown of law and order pending the restoration of peace in the area. The House also resolved that Hausa-Fulani cattle rearers in the state should liaise with the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and its lands and survey counterpart for the sole purpose of acquiring land for grazing and for construction of a ranch where the animals could be kept to prevent grazing on farm crops. The resolution also urged the state police command to establish a police post in the communities as the nearest police stations is in far away Owan West Local Government Area and Ekiadolor along the Benin-Lagos Express way.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 12:07:30 +0000
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