Following the recent clash between farmers and Fulanis herders which have lead to many deaths in some part of Nigeria, Governor of Katsina State, Bello Masari has however described open grazing as un-Islamic.
He noted that it is wrong for herders to graze their cattle on other people’s land.
The governor stated this while speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Condemning the movement of herders from one part of the country to another to graze their cattle, Masari said, “This is something we have to do through development, to provide necessary infrastructure that will prevent herders from moving.
“The herders’ movement is essentially in search of two things: water and fodder. If we can provide these two items, why should they move?
“The roaming about, for us, is un-Islamic and it is not the best. It is part of the problems we are having today. I don’t support [the idea] that we should continue with open grazing.”
Meanwhile, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government had kicked against the resolution of Southern Governors to ban open grazing in their region.
The Presidency, however, questioned the “legality” of the governors’ resolution, but the Presidency’position attracted public criticism.
However, the governor also said the Nigerian government would provide ranches for cattle to graze before totally banning open grazing.
He, however, added that the government ought to make provision for where animals would stay before banning grazing.
He said, “We intend to have a law banning (cattle) roaming but before we do that, we would make provisions for where the animals would stay.”
He disclosed that the Nigerian Government has spent N6.2 billion on the project as part of the efforts to start the ranching programme.
He also said his state government has invested N6.2 billion with the aim of having herders in one place.
