"End nomadic cattle rearing" - Afenifere tells FG [PUNCH]

Pa Reuben Fasonranti

The Pan Socio-Political Organisation, Afenifere, has called on the Federal Government to abolish nomadic system, so as to stop the criminality allegedly committed by the Fulani herdsmen in the rural communities of Yorubaland.

This was contained in a communique issued on Tuesday at the end of the monthly meeting of the organisation held at the residence of its leader, Pa Rueben Fasonranti, in Akure, the state capital.

In the communique read by the Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr Yinka Odumakin, the Afenifere decried the state of insecurity in the country, particularly, the recent kidnapping of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, last week.

Describing the kidnap of Falae as shameful, insensitive and disrespect to the Yoruba race, the group warned that if the Federal Government failed to stop the herdsmen from attacking the Yoruba people, it might result to the South-West people to defending themselves.

“Our people are everywhere in the country and they don’t destroy the business of their host, why should the Fulani people be destroying our own business. Our demand is that the Federal Government should arrest the perpetrators and prosecute them. Youruba people will not tolerate this any longer.

“So while we await the arrest of the criminals, the cattle rearing should be stop in Yorubaland. I read Chief Olu Falae told the Commissioner of Police that government should do something urgently to stop this thing because if such a thing is not done, it will be encouraging self-help. People will defend themselves. And we agree totally with him,” Odumakin stated.

While insisting that the President should implement the recommendations of the report of the 2014 National Conference, the Afenifere said the report contained the abolishment of nomadic system of cattle rearing which it described as primitive, and asked the government to rather adopt ranching.

“ The meeting noted that the 2014 National Conference, which Chief Olu Falae led the Yoruba delegation, extensively discussed this matter of nomadic cattle rearing and the Conference resolved that it should be stopped and instead have ranches for cattle business.”