President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday described as illegal, the recent ban on open grazing by the Southern Governors’ Forum.
The governors had on May 11 banned open grazing and movement of cattle in a bid to check clashes between farmers and the herdsmen in the region.
At a meeting held in Asaba, Delta State, the governors also demanded the devolution of power to the federating units and state police.
However, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, who reacted to the development in a statement in Abuja, said the governors’ ban on open grazing has a “questionable legality.”
Shehu stressed that the resolutions offered no solution to the frequent clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the country.
He added that President Buhari has approved a number of measures aimed at ending the crisis.
He said: “The President had approved a number of specific measures to bring a permanent end to the frequent skirmishes as recommended by the Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Sabo Nanno, in a report he submitted and the President signed off on it back in April well before the actions of the Southern Governors’ Forum which attempts to place a ban on open grazing and other acts of politicking intended by its signatories to demonstrate their power.
“It is very clear that there was no solution offered from their resolutions to the herder-farmer clashes that have been continuing in our country for generations.
“But the citizens of the southern states – indeed citizens of all states of Nigeria – have a right to expect their elected leaders and representatives to find answers to challenges of governance and rights, and not to wash their hands off hard choices by, instead, issuing bans that say: ‘not in my state.’
“It is equally true that their announcement is of questionable legality, given the Constitutional right of all Nigerians to enjoy the same rights and freedoms within every one of our 36 states (and FCT) -regardless of the state of their birth or residence.
“Fortunately, this declaration has been preempted, for whatever it is intended to achieve and Mr. President, who has rightly been worried about these problems more than any other citizen in consultation with farmers and herders alike, commissioned and approved an actionable plan of rehabilitating grazing reserves in the states, starting with those that are truly committed to the solution and compliant with stated requirements.
“With veterinary clinics, water points for animals, and facilities for herders and their families including schooling – through these rehabilitated reserves, the Federal Government is making far-reaching and practical changes allowing for different communities to co-exist side-by-side: supporting farmers to till their fields, herders to rear their livestock, and Nigerians everywhere to be safe.”
The Constitutional right to freedom of movement does not enncapsulate a situation where such freedom is in open violation of the rights of others, Right to Life and To own propery. The drafters of section 41 of the 1999 Constitution would not have envisaged every problem that may arise as a result of the exercise of this right, but it is common sense that the right does not include freedom to destroy life and property while expressing the freedom of movement. I can’t imagine someone exercising his freedom of movement, going into Aso Villa, after all, he has the right to move freely as guaranteed by the constitution. Or imagine a Nigerian traveling from Lagos to Samunaka, who decides to turn the National mosque or the Ecumenical Christian center in Abuja to a garage or some farmers traveling all the way from Kebbi to Abuja, and decided to use the National stadium, dislodging the sports men/women just to plant their millet! The freedom is not absolute. As the Cattles are moveable property subject to the control of the owner who is passing through my land, who must ensure that my Maize and cassava plants are not destroyed. The president should learn to value human life more than animal life. We can do without meat and all the products that comes from the Cattles,but we can’t do without food crops.