By Aiyeku Timothy
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) has agreed to comply with the orders by Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, on grazing in the state.
This was contained in a communique at the end of a meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital between the six South-west governors and the Miyetti Allah.
According to the communique, the Miyetti Allah group has agreed to ban night and underage grazing in the South-west.
One of the orders given by the Ondo State governor is to end the occupation of the state forest reserves illegally as he earlier gave them a 7-day untimatum to vacate the forest.
The agreements reached between the two parties are “Night grazing should be banned henceforth.
“Under age herding is Inimical to security and hence be banned.
“Occupation of State Forest Reserves illegally is condemned.”
On the enforcement of the governor’s order which was scheduled to commence on Monday, the enforcement might be put on hold as the process of registration had commenced in the state, a security source in the government said.
“Many of the herdsmen have been vacating the forests now and the process to register them has begun. So after the registration, the enforcement may commence on those who don’t register with the government.”
The Ondo State Government has also begun registering herdsmen in the state with the aim of ejecting unregistered herders from the state’s forest reserves.
Some of the members of the NGF that attended the meeting included Akeredolu of Ondo State; Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola; Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Mohammed Badaru (Jigawa State); Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State.
Meanwhile, Monday’s meeting was also a fall out of an incident in Oyo State where a local warlord, Sunday Adeyemo, led residents to chase out members of a Fulani community in Igangan over allegations that they harbour criminals.
