16th November, 2017
A first-class traditional ruler in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Usman Abdullahi, has appealed to farmers and herdsmen to coexist peacefully so as to boost agricultural production in the country.
Abdullahi, who is the Ohimegye Opanda, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umaisha on Thursday.
“I want to use this medium to appeal to farmers and herdsmen in this area and other Nigerians to live in peace with one another in order to boost food production.
“Without peaceful coexistence between the farmers and herdsmen, agricultural production and socio-economic development of the country will be affected negatively,’’ he said.
Abdullahi said that the appeal became imperative because of the importance of peace to the socio-economic development of any society.
“As traditional rulers, it is our role to preach peace and advise our subjects on the need to live in peace and tolerate one another, irrespective of their ethnic, religious and political affiliation.
“No nation or society can develop in an atmosphere of rancour, chaos and confusion.
“The security challenges facing some parts of the country have negatively affected our lives and the country’s socio-economic development in general,’’ he said.
Abdullahi called on Nigerians to be law-abiding, saying that they should not engage in acts that could cause chaos in the country.
He also urged them to be security conscious, while reporting suspicious movements of persons or groups to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.
The traditional ruler assured the people of his continuous commitment to initiating peace building efforts which would have direct bearing on the lives of citizens.