PRESIDENT BUHARI INAUGURATES NAT FOOD SECURITY COUNCIL 0A. L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari, Kebbi State Governor and Vice Chairman of the Council, Sen Atiku Bagudu, Taraba State Governor Mr Darius Ishaku, Plateau State Governor, Mr Simon Lanlong, Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Dave Umahi, Delta State Governor, Sen Ifeanyi Okowa during the inauguration of National Fodd Security Council at the Council Chambers in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. MARCH 26 2018.

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Herdsmen, Farmers Clashes May Escalate in 2019 – FG warns

Per Second NewsApril 9, 2018277

The National Food Security Council chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, has voiced concerns over the herdsmen, farmers clashes, warning that it could escalate into a much broader conflict in 2019 if efforts are not intensified to create cattle ranches or provide better security against rustling.

‘ If we don’t do it, next year will be worse than this year I assure you, said Minister of Agriculture, Ogbeh, after the meeting on Monday.

“We have to move the cattle to the good old grazing reserves and we just have to create environment for them; clusters of ranches where they have water, grass and security against rustlers.

“For nearly 40 years we didn’t do much about cattles, we also forgot that cattle contribute 6 percent to GDP. The cheapest way of rearing cattle is by roaming around with them as you see now. If you go into a ranch it is not cheap and government cannot subsidize cattle rearing like they do in Europe, where they subsidize every cow with €6 which is about N2,400. We cannot afford that.

The council meeting was chaired by Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, who is the Vice Chairman, also charged the President to quickly approve the establishment and training of Agro-rangers as special unit to assist security agencies check the clashes between herdsmen and farmers, which have cost hundreds of lives.

Also at the meeting were Governors of Ebonyi, Dave Umahi, Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode, Delta, Ifeanyi Okowa, and Plateau Simon Lalong; the Ministers of Agriculture; Audu Ogbe, Finance; Kemi Adeosun, Trade and Investment; Okechukwu Enelamah, Interior; Abdulrahman Dambazzau, Environment; and Water Resources; Ibrahim Jibril, Sulieman Adamu, and the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.