Today On Channels Television's "Sunrise Daily", Femi Adesina, Special Adviser (Media) To The President Created The Impression That The Refusal Of Certain States To Yield Land For Grazing Reserves/Ranching Definitely Suggests A Predisposition Which,Hopefully Does Not Go Further Up
In the loosest possible terms, he seemed to suggest that the impediment to peace is the refusal of states which refuse to, as he put it, "bend over backwards" lies at the heart of the problem
This is most unfortunate. How about some other Nigerians blame the problem is interpreted that the herdsmen refuse to quit roaming around the federation and stay back in the North?
Even in Social Studies classes at primary schools, pupils are taught that the Yoruba come from the West, the Igbo from the East and the Hausa-Fulani from the North
Does Mr Adesina know and realise the acute nature of the paucity of land in Southeast Nigeria where some people have to build their homes outside of their hometowns because land available for building has been exhausted in their own villages?
A few days ago on the Federal Govt's NTA News, it emerged that Nigeria have 450 grazing reserves spread on 5m acres and able to support 80 million head of cattle.
At this time, Nigeria do not even have 40 million head of cattle YET Adesina's wailing about states which refuse to yield land for grazing reserves?Even as the already delineated reserves are less than 45% utilized?
Only yesterday, Senator Sabi Abdullahi revealed at plenary that his Niger North senatorial district spans an area of 41,000+ sq kilometres. That is just ONE senatorial district
Here's how the size of Niger North SENATORIAL DISTRICT - a flank of ONE STATE - compares to the size of nations in Africa & regions and states in Nigeria
Niger North senatorial district is roughly equal to the land area of Guinea Bissau+Gambia PUT TOGETHER; it is over 1.3 times larger than ALL of Southeastern Nigeria and is larger that Rivers+Bayelsa OR Akwa Ibom+Cross River OR Edo+Delta. Check. No?
That Niger North is so sparsely populated that it does not have even 2m people! Yet Adesina expects Igbo people, for instance, to relocate to other regions so that favoured+beloved cattle can be granted land in the SE? What's actually the matter with some of us Nigerians?
Even as existing reserves are woefully under-utilized and Niger North alone, equal in size to The Netherlands, can host all the cattle in Nigeria, some persons insist on blaming HUMANS who are faced with an acute crunch re land resources?
Niger North SENATORIAL DISTRICT alone has 4+ times the land available to the semi-industrial STATES of Anambra+Abia yet they should yield land for CATTLE that its rearing or grazing is not even an economic activity in their area? In whose or what interest?
Even Governor Tambuwal of Sokoto said a few years ago that the grazing reserves should be restricted to the North or is anyone intent on subtly redistributing population segments in the guise of grazing reserves?
I leave you to determine between Tambuwal and Adesina (who continues to blame the problem on the refusal of some states to yield land for grazing), WHO it is that actually means well for Nigeria and wants lasting peace to reign. Good morning one and all.
