3rd December, 2020
Farmers and herders across the State have been urged to ensure the sustenance of the peace and harmony that they currently experience even as they continue their farming and cattle rearing.
Chairman, Conflict Resolution, Farmers/Herders Committee, Prince Olusegun Dasaolu, who gave the charge during a round table discussion involving the two groups as well as representatives of security of agencies, held at Tata, Yewa North Local Government, said the charge was necessitated in order to guide against conflict.
“We are here today at the instance of the state government in order to have robust engagement with these two groups on ways to further sustain the peace and harmony being enjoyed by farmers and Herders and to address concerns if there are because our mission is to achieve peace through continuous engagement with farmers and Herders.
“We have been inundated with cases of farmers/Herders crisis in neighboring states, as a proactive committee, we consider it of utmost importance, to constantly engage farmers and Herders with a view to registering the peaceful co-existence campaign in the minds of farmers, Herders, and stakeholders”, Dasaolu said.
He appreciated Governor Abiodun for the support accorded the committee saying, the state has become a template and role model in terms of peaceful and harmonious living between farmers and herders.
Also speaking, Co-Chairman of the Committee and Sarkin Fulani in the SouthWest, Alhaji Ibraheem Labaran, charged the two groups to see each other as brothers, advising them to eschew violence while maximizing the windows of peaceful co-existence provided by the government.
While alleging that hoodlums do enter the state from neighboring countries, the Co. Chairman asserted that Government intervention by putting together round table meetings has helped the groups to be more united, tasking his members to group strange movement of people claiming to be herdsmen.
In their separate responses, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Eggua Divisional Headquarters and his counterpart from the Army, Capt. Enoch Edward urged the groups to adopt Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in addressing their concerns, advising them to replicate the Government’s gesture by living harmoniously.
They warned the groups to eschew violence as any incidence of crisis will be meted with severe consequences.
Responding on behalf of the groups, the trio of Kumolu Samuel, Monsurat Abisekan, and Sule Hamisu thanked the Government and the committee for the meeting, promising that the terms and conditions laid down will be observed.
Also in attendance at the roundtable meeting were the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), So.safe Corp, Community leaders among others.