11th September, 2019
Residents of Adamawa on Tuesday lauded the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) that was flagged off by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the state.
The residents displayed placards that showed their acceptance of NLTP and disapproval of the suspended RUGA. One of the placards read, “No Foreign Herdsmen” while another read, “No To Mobile Livestock Husbandry”.
The placards were carried by the beneficiaries of the scheme who fully supported the plan which emphasizes ranching and crop farming side by side.
The Gongoshi farm has 192 crop farmers and a ranch.
The placards which said “No foreign Herdsmen” and “No settlement of non-Fulani men” were displayed by the local herdsmen and farmers who are beneficiaries of the scheme.”
The placards reading “No to mobile husbandry” were displayed by the beneficiaries who were extolling the scheme which is designed to make cattle stationary not mobile.
The coordinator of the programme, Prof . Ambrose Alikidon Voh, is himself an indigene of Numan.
Others present at the ceremony was serving Senator, Pastor Binos Dauda Yarima who is from Mayo-Belwa, the local government in which the Gongoshi farm is located.
The National Livestock Transformation Plan at the Gongoshi farm in Adamawa yesterday was certainly not RUGA in any shape or form.
The NLTP is the plan agreed to by the 36 governors under the auspices of NEC.
The Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri invited the Vice President to launch the scheme which clearly seeks to show that if cattle are sedentary they will produce more milk and herders and crop farmers can co-exist peacefully. Many of the placards at the event expressed the same sentiments.
The residents also said NLTP will bring an end to grazing which has often led to farmer-herder clashes across the country including Adamawa state.
A farmer, Mathew Nyako told newsmen that NLTP will bring about jobs and economic stability for both livestock owners and farmers. “The idea by the government is good because all the livestock will be stationed in a place and would not interfere with our farms,” he said.
Similarly, Timawus Namdas said that more jobs will be created, especially for those who were displaced. “Some members of our communities have been unable to find jobs but this has brought hope to them.”
A herder, Abubakar Aliyu, said he welcomed NLTP because his cattle can be nurtured in one place. “The cows will grow bigger if they are put in one place, we will not have to move them around,” he said.
He added that they have been assured of food for the cattle as well as water. “We will have food and water on this ranch and that is what we need for our cattle to grow.