If the National Executive Council (NEC) follows through its decision to ban open grazing, then it would have succeeded in putting a stop to an agelong practice that has since been jettisoned in several other countries with similar practice. The council, which met last week, approved the recommendation of its sub-committee that open grazing be banned nationwide.
The three-man committee was constituted to unravel the causes of herdsmen/farmers’ clashes by dialoguing with relevant stakeholders with a view to putting an end to the killings of innocent citizens. Other members of the committee are Governors Simon Lalong (Plateau), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), and Bindo Jubrilla (Adamawa).
No one should be under the illusion that the clashes will end just because the Federal Government has proscribed open grazing. It would be difficult to expect people who have been used to nomadic life to readily agree that their mode of cattle rearing is anachronistic and should therefore be dropped for another system, no matter how attractive or alluring the new system is. But that is no reason why the government should shy away from doing the appropriate thing, no matter whose horse is gored.
What is required is tact and enlightenment. Perhaps where to begin is to let all the stakeholders understand that the decision to go for ranches is not necessarily a victory for any group; it just happens to be the modern way of doing the business and Nigeria cannot continue to live in the Stone Age. This is especially so that the old way has now become a source of acrimony and bloodshed in many parts of the country.
Those used to the old way must be enlightened of the benefits of ranching. For instance, it ensures production of healthier animals since they no longer have to trek long distances as they presently do; ranching adds value to the farm products, leads to employment creation as well as sorts out real herdsmen from bandits, among others. If well communicated to them, the herdsmen are likely to see the sense in buying into the idea.
However, there should be a time frame for the effective take-off of the prohibition order. It is not something that can be decreed into existence with immediate effect because old habits die hard. Certain provisions must be made in the states for a seamless transition from the existing to the new order. Where will the ranches be sited, and under what arrangement? State governments must be involved and there should be well spelt out rules and regulations or guidelines on the rights and privileges of the herdsmen and the state governments or whoever is providing the sites for the ranches.
Above all, there must be the political will on the part of the Federal Government to enforce the ban because this appears to be the panacea to the incessant clashes between the herdsmen and farmers/their host communities. It is not enough to declare open grazing banned while there is no machinery to enforce the ban. The police and other security agencies have to be more professional and responsive in dealing with all the contentious issues on the matter. They must be ready to provide security for the herdsmen and farmers/their host communities as long as they are only going about their lawful businesses. Anyone of them that breaks the law should be arrested and prosecuted.
We agree with those who say that cattle rearing is private business; but then, we do not see anything wrong in the government giving some form of assistance to the herdsmen, after all the government has had to assist some other private businesses to ensure that they do not die. As a matter of fact, if that is the sacrifice that has to be made to end the incessant shedding of the blood of innocent Nigerians over these seemingly intractable clashes, so be it.
