The president of Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the resolve of the governors of the Southern regions of Nigeria relating to their Asaba Declaration on open grazing. The president reiterated his earlier mandate to address the issue of herders and farmers permanently.

Buhari speaks on  Southern governors open grazing ban.

The president further described as an act of questionable legality the Asaba Declaration to ban open grazing in the Southern part of Nigeria. He consequently accused the Southern governors of politicking and labeled the declaration an attempt at a show of power.

The presidential spokesman stated that “It is very clear that there was no solution offered from their resolutions to the herder-farmer clashes that have been continuing in our country for generations.”

“It is equally true that their announcement is of questionable legality, given the Constitutional right of all Nigerians to enjoy the same rights and freedoms within every one of our 36 states (and FCT) -regardless of the state of their birth or residence.

“Fortunately, this declaration has been pre-empted, for whatever it is intended to achieve and Mr. President, who has rightly been worried about these problems more than any other citizen in consultation with farmers and herders alike, commissioned and approved an actionable plan of rehabilitating grazing reserves in the states, starting with those that are truly committed to the solution and compliant with stated requirements.

“With veterinary clinics, water points for animals, and facilities for herders and their families, including schooling – through these rehabilitated reserves, the Federal Government is making far-reaching and practical changes, allowing for different communities to co-exist side-by-side: supporting farmers to till their fields, herders to rear their livestock and Nigerians everywhere to be safe.

“The entire country is acutely aware of the strain the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on public finances, for both Federal and States. Still, given the pressing urgency of addressing the perennial challenges, the federal funding for the project that has been delayed is now being partly unlocked. Actual work for the full actualisation of the modern reserve system in a few of the consenting states should take off in June,” he concluded.