Northern Groups Give South Condition for Getting 2023 Presidency
- Northern groups have made their position known concerning the ban on open grazing by southern governors
- A coalition of the northern herdsmen groups has said that the decision did not come with an alternative for cattle rearers
- Moreover, the groups predicted that the resolve will work against the south come the 2023 presidential poll
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The decision of southern governors to ban open grazing in the region has not been accepted fully by some northern organisations.
In fact, the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN) has said that the governors' position will come with some serious implications in the country.
Source: Facebook
Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, the national secretary of GAFDAN, told Nigerian Tribune that the ban will be counter-productive for the region especially in the 2023 presidential election.
Abdullahi noted that by the decision, the south is chasing potential northern voters from the zone.
Speaking further, he pointed out that it is wrong and rather unfortunate for the governor to end a system lucrative for herdsmen without creating an alternative for them.
His words:
“You don’t just play politics. Some people want power to return to their region and they believe that the only way to go about it is to intimidate others. You want power to return to the South and you are driving people, about 17 million voters (Fulani), away. This step will definitely jeopardise the chances of the South to produce the next president come 2023.”
“The position of the forum is very unfortunate because you don’t stop a system unless you have provided an alternative to it. We are not against any new method of animal husbandry because we believe that the present system is outdated but then you don’t stop it overnight without providing alternative. So, the position of the governors is practically impossible under the present setup in Nigeria."
Open grazing: Ogun state Assembly proposes three-year Imprisonment for offenders
Meanwhile, the Ogun state House of Assembly had passed Animal Grazing Regulation and Cattle Ranch Establishment Bill, 2020, recommending three years jail terms for offenders without any option.
According to the bill, violators of the law would also forfeit their herds of cattle or livestock to the state government.
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The Assembly said it passed the bill to address incessant clashes between herders and farmers in the state, noting that it had led to the loss of lives and property.
Source: Legit.ng
