13 January, 2018

EXPECT MORE BLOODSHED...They threaten

Expect more bloodshed in Benue if the Anti-grazing law is not completely scrapped- Miyetti Allah leader warns Benue State Govt.

Barely 48 hours after the mass burial of 73 victims of the recent herdsmen attacks in Benue, the National Vice President of Miyetti Allah Cattle Herders Association, Husaini Yusuf Bosso, has warned that more blood will be shed in the state if the anti-grazing law introduced by Governor Samuel Ortom is not completely scrapped.

According to him, the herders have been sorting out their issues with farmers in the state before the Ortom government enacted the anti-grazing law without consulting stakeholders.

“We, the association wrote a letter to him, even met him. We told him that this law cannot work. We told them that there is an international cattle route from Niger to Eastern Nigeria. He said he will not allow cattle to pass through Benue state even if it is the cattle route. We told him that if he wants to implement that law, he must provide a land for us to rent. He did not provide any land for cattle herders. They have been in that state even before colonial days and co-existing peacefully. We advised him and he refused to listen to us. We are not against that law but he has to provide a land for these people before implementing such a law. If there is no land, there is a problem.”

He accused the land guards hired by the state government of terrorizing the herdsmen in the name of implementing the law. “The land guards that he introduced who we all know as the civilian Joint Task Force, they are inflicting pain on the Fulani herdsmen. They attack and seize their animals. They drag them to the nearest police station where huge amount of money is collected before they are granted bail. This is the cause of this problem. If you attack a cattle herder and collect his cattle, he has no choice but to attack.

“The law is saying that herdsmen should not pass through the state even if it’s a route to another area. In the past , if there was damage by the cattle , we had ways to settle the matter. When you damage a farm, you have to beg the owner , if they refuse, you pay for the damages. This has worked for us for years till Benue State decided to implement the anti-grazing law. We have challenged the law in court and till court decides which way forward, Governor Ortom will be held responsible for any further bloodshed. ”

He further alleged that the group as a major stakeholder was not consulted when the law was being debated. “

DEMAND FOR PIGGERY COLONIES

National Secretariat,
Nigerian Association of Piggery Farmers,
Abuja.                           






12/01/2018

Dear Mr. President,

DEMAND FOR PIGGERY COLONIES

The National Association of Piggery Farmers deplore the marginalization of the association by the Federal Government. Our pigs have been variously targeted for elimination in several Northern states. Those Sharia compliant states have refused to allow our legitimate business to thrive. Our members have been hounded and harassed by the Hisbah Police and others. We deplore this

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has paid deaf ears to out plight. Our members demand that the marginalization must stop in order to forestall the breakdown of Law & Order.

From the foregoing, NAPF thus demand the following:
1. Equal opportunities for all farmers and herders throughout the federation
2. We demand for a 20 hectare Piggery Colony in the 19 Northern States especially Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Bauchi, Niger, Borno and Gombe
3. We demand the National Assembly to pass a law on Piggery Colonies in all Northern states
4. We demand that a section of the Nigerian Army be employed in the protection of pigs and pig farmers
5. We demand the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to set aside a budget for the importation of Pig Feed from Argentina
6. We demand a special department of Piggery in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

Dear Mr. President, we are a law abiding association. We prevent our members from being provoked by the government-backed Hisbah/Islamic horde that aim to destroy our pig farmers. We shall not be involved in attacking and killing the anti-piggery people in the Sharia States. If these things are not done, we can no longer guarantee that our members would not deliberately target our transducers!

Signed

Ogbuefi Animam Eze
National Secretary
Nigerian Association Piggery Farmers (NAPF)

Cc: MoA
Cc: MoD
Cc: Presidency
Cc: Ohaneze
Cc: Afenifere
Cc: NDA
Cc: NSDSM
Cc: Nzuko Umunna