Spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum, (NEF), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has expressed that the ban on open grazing by some State governments is counterproductive and damaging to the nation’s spirit of coexistence.
Baba-Ahmed made the comment during an interview on a television programme yesterday.
His words: “We are not against open grazing; we are in support of ranching, domesticating cattle, modern ways on how both the cattle and the Fulani man can rest from this worrisome way of which it can be done.
“What we are insisting on is that this haste to sign laws that ban open grazing is both counterproductive (and) very damaging to the spirit of coexistence. When you hear governors say ‘you’re on your own, find a way to protect yourselves’, you are then talking about anarchy.
“The more the States fail to provide security to communities, the more communities become desperate”, he stated.
He noted further, “If there are routes and grazing reserves, they don’t necessarily contradict the law against open grazing. Open grazing exists because there are no routes and reserves”.
