Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has said that those who support open grazing and are against the ban have evil agenda because it was no longer fashionable.
Ortom said this on Thursday when he played host to the Middle Belt Youth Organisations’ Forum (MBYOF) at the Government House, Makurdi.
His words: “Anyone against banning of open grazing has evil agenda, because, as it is now, rearing of cattle openly is no longer fashionable and it has rather brought a lot of security challenges to the country. As governors, we have responsibility to provide security for our people. It is our primary duty.”
In his remarks, President of MBYOF, Terrence Kuanum, lamented the security challenges in the Middle Belt region, particularly Benue, Kaduna and Plateau states.
He said “It is more worrisome that some person’s within the zone, because of selfish interest, were aligning with the killers to twist the narrative about the killings in the region,”
Kuanum added that “The youths were in the state to hold a meeting and deliberate on issues like the need for the establishment of the North Central Development Commission, state police and, above all, the urgency for the Federal Government to evolve a National Policy on Ranching to permanently end open grazing, which is basically the cause of clashes between herdsmen and farmers.”
According to him, youths in the region have also embarked on robust campaigns against the leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), who have variously accepted responsibility for the killing of the people.
“Your Excellency, you have been calling on the Federal Government to consider these and other important issues, and we find it necessary to support your patriotic call. We appreciate your esteemed contributions to our various struggles, which you have always done through the BYF and we ask God to bless you richly.
“We commend your efforts so far in trying to curb the menace within your state and we urge other leaders of the region to emulate your statesmanship and strategies,” Kuanum told the governor.
