The Governors and Leaders in the Southwestern Nigeria, including the national leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), had a meeting earlier today, and they reached an agreement to effect the termination of open grazing, night grazing and under-age grazing in a bid to put an end to incessant crisis between the herdsmen and farmers in the Southwest region and the country at large.
The meeting which was held to source for prevailing solutions to the endless killings, kidnapping, and crises going on between herdsmen and farmers in the Southwest region was held at the International Culture and Event Center in Akure, the Ondo state capital.
Oyomesioro correspondent who monitored the proceeds of the meeting stated that Governors of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde, Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, and Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state, made their presence present.
Also, some Nothern Governors were present namely: the Governor of Jigawa state, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, and the Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.
But there were notable absences of the Lagos state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun.
The Chairman, Southwest Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, in his welcome address, debunked a statement that made the rounds stating that he ordered Fulanis to leave Ondo state.
He, however, explained that based on a security briefing he received that bandits are using the state forest reserves as hideouts to perpetrate coordinated attacks, it was then he had authorized that all illegal occupants of the forest reserves to vacate the area in a bid to further curb crime and criminality in his state and not to witch-hunt the Fulanis.
The National President, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Muhammadu Kiruwa, In his address, which was delivered by the MACBAN National Secretary, Baba Othman Ngelzarma, mandated the herders in the Southwest region and Nigeria at large to immediately desist from open grazing, night grazing and under-age grazing in a bid to end the incessant crisis between the herdsmen and farmers in the Southwest region and the country at large.
The Oyo state governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, also spoke at the event, where he assured them at the meeting that his administration will not utilise crime, to curb and controls crime; assuring all residents of Oyo state, adequate security of lives and property.
The chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor Kayode Fayemi, reading out the resolution of the meeting emphasized that no governor in the southwest region will order a forceful evacuation of the Fulanis, that the news that was in circulation in this regard was misconstrued.
He further noted that there must be a coordinated and controlled scheme of operation for MACBAN in the Southwest region, and ranches must be constructed for the herders so that cattle will no longer roam and disturb other persons’ livelihood.
Present at the meeting, we’re other dignitaries which comprise of various security chiefs in the Southwest region led by the AIG Zone 11, Olufemi Agunbiade, former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore; MACBAN state and national excos, among others.
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