Benue Government, Miyetti Allah at loggerheads again

The Benue State Government and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, have again engaged each other over the grazing of cows by herdsmen as dry season sets in.

Last Wednesday, governor Samuel Ortom had reminded Fulani herdsmen entering the state to obey an existing law prohibiting open grazing, having on several occasions, raised the alarm over the influx of herdsmen to the state.

He explained that the anti-open grazing and ranching establishment law did not stop cattle owners from bringing their cows to Benue State, but that the animals should not be transported into the state by foot.

Terver Akase, Chief Press Secretary to the governor warned that as dry season sets in, there was the tendency for herdsmen, entering the state with the cattle, to mistake farmland for open field.

His words, “Those herdsmen coming into the state from Mali or Niger, should ask their members, who are here, that there is a law on the ground and that the law stipulates that whoever wants to ranch or rear livestock in Benue has to obtain permit.

“If the herders respect the law that was enacted by the state assembly and signed on May 22, 2017 by the governor, there would be no crisis”.

Garus Gololo, Benue State Coordinator of MACBAN, however called on Ortom to address the issues bordering on farmers and herdsmen clash.

He said the governor had not put a proper law in place that would address the farmers and herdsmen crisis or stop cattle owners from entering the state.

According to him, the much-talked-about anti -open grazing law had not made any provision for where to rear livestock, adding that the governor should not subject his members to untold hardship.