Worried by the rate of clashes between herders and farmers in the South
East geopolitical zone, a Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) in Imo State, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu has condemned the
idea of open gracing across the nation.
Senator Anyanwu therefore gave the nod for the establishment of ranches
in various states, maintaining that the policy, when adopted would not
only checkmate the movement of mercenaries and infiltrators, but capable
of fostering peace across the country.
According to him, “open gracing remains the cause of incessant communal
crises in Nigeria leading to wanton killings and destruction of
properties”, pointing out that until the policy was played down, the
country would continue to battle with insecurity.
Anyanwu, popularly known as SamDaddy further expressed worry over
worsening Fulani herders and farmers’ crisis across the country with
much emphasis to the South East, appealing to the Federal Government to
assist the states to establish cattle ranches.
“Open gracing is illegal and unconstitutional. If the 1969 statutory
laws of the federation could ban it, who else has the right to revive or
reintroduce it without going through the due process of the law.”
“Through open gracing, the South East geopolitical zone in particular
has lost their innocent citizens to herdsmen who roam about their farm
lands, and destroy cash crops with impunity. I totally stand against
it.”
“The only way to monitor these killer herdsmen and infiltrators in and
around communities is to encourage the establishment of ranches. By so
doing, the identities of every cattle rustler will be documented and
checkmated for security reasons. On the other way round, ownership of
ranch, be it public or private, no one, even government has the right to
grab people’s lands without proper compensation in the name of building
ranch(s).”
The Ikeduru LGA born Lawmaker also expressed regret the manner in which
top security chiefs of Igbo extraction were been retired whenever they
were due to climb the highest security ladder, describing it as an
orchestrated plot by enemies of the country to silence the Igbos from
the security architecture of Nigeria.
Senator Anyanwu, a onetime Chairman of Senate Committee on Ethics,
Privileges and Public Petitions further stressed that ownership of ranch
by private individuals or state governments would address the recurring
clashes between farmers and herders, wondering how the lapses could be
curbed in the South East when her top security chiefs were booted out
unceremoniously.
While calling on South East Governors to immediately summon a security
meeting involving stakeholders and community leaders in the zone, added
that such meeting would address the issue of open gracing, which is
targeted at grabbing people’s lands in negation to the constitution of
the federal republic of Nigeria.