By Saminu Ibrahim
The Senate leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi on Monday canvassed promotion of dialogue at the local level as solution to the persistent crisis between farmers and herders in Nigeria.
He however bemoaned that the country is entering a period of governance trajectory where some political actors and ethnic entrepreneurs are coming into the process and spoiling the water
It would be recalled that the governor of Ondo state, Rotimi Akeredolu ordered herdsmen to vacate forest reserves in the state within 7 days, but the Federal Government countered that order saying herdsmen can’t leave the state.
Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement quoted that Akeredolu, being a senior lawyer would be the least expected to unilaterally expel thousands of herders who have lived all their lives in the state on account of the infiltration of the forests by criminals.
The Senate leader leader while reacting to the herders/farmers clash in part of Ondo and Oyo states and the attendant tension it generated between Fulani herdsmen and their host said these are issues that have set communities which hitherto were living peaceful against each other either for some political advantage or for some material matters.
“I think these are issues that should be really resolve in the local level through a lot of dialogue and give and take. There should be a promotion of dialogue at the local level”.
According to the lawmaker, the federal government is too distant to be resolving every inter communal disputes everywhere.
He explained that inter communal disputes, wherever they are, should be resolved by the local people, saying it is the responsibility of the political leaders at whatever level at the level of National Assembly, at the level of governance, at the level of even local government councilor to sit down with their people so that a lot of these issues can be articulated and addressed by the local population.
He added that this is what the governors should do but not to always run to the federal government because of one dispute or the other.
“How many hands do the federal government have? This is a federation, we are all responsible political leaders, therefore leaders at the level they are, should sit down, talk to one another and resolve these disputes. I can assure you only that these intercommunal clashes will be resolved in one way or the other.
“But I think the way they may likely be resolved is in the interest of the county’s unity and integrity.
“There will be a general motion either tomorrow or Wednesday, is going to be sponsor by Senator Ajayi Boroffice on the floor of the senate and I think in course of the discussion, on the basis of that some prayers are coming up.
“Some explanations are there, then the senators will discuss all these issues and when the Senate discusses it, you know it is going to be very rich because we come from varieties of areas all over the country, therefore people will share their own experiences on the basis of that we will come up with resolutions that will address some of these issues and make recommendations to various authorities on what need to be done to find solutions to these issues” Abdullahi said.
