The Gombe State government on Monday said it has begun engaging critical stakeholders across the state to ensure peaceful harvest and prevent farmer-herder clashes in the state.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Abdulkadir Muhammed, made this known at a news briefing in Gombe.
Muhammed said that the committee set up by the state government to ensure peaceful harvest activities has begun engaging traditional rulers, leadership of farmer and herder associations and other stakeholders at the grassroots.
According to him, so far there have been no reported cases of clashes between farmers and herders because of the early engagement of relevant stakeholders.
Start tomorrow informed
Save your place for the morning brief. We’ll start emailing when delivery goes live.
Free. Confirm by email. Unsubscribe anytime.
He said it was imperative for government to protect farm produce in view of the impact of climate change on this year’s cropping season, where many farmers experience irregular rainfall that affects their produce.
He further emphasised the need for farmers and herders to respect each other and to protect their sources of livelihoods “because such peaceful co-existence is good for the food security effort of the government”.
The commissioner said that the committee in charge of preventing farmer-herder conflicts has established a task force to monitor and supervise activities across the state.
He stated that their role was to work with local government stakeholders to receive complaints and report issues for appropriate measures.
He said that the committee and the taskforce were working with security agencies, hunters, vigilante groups and other relevant stakeholders to address issues as they arise and ensure that there is no escalation of conflict.
Muhammed said that there were recorded challenges in certain communities but stressed that efforts were being made to resolve them through established channels.
The commissioner emphasised the need for residents not to take the law into their own hands, adding that in cases of infringement, people should use the proper channel for reporting grievances and resist the temptation of fighting anyone.
“If you have a complaint, you should report it to your councillor or visit any of the designated reporting centres established by the committee.
“You can also report the matter to the appropriate local government committee, which will ensure that it receives the necessary attention.
“Our message is that peaceful coexistence requires understanding, cooperation and mutual respect. Farmers and herders must recognise that they need one another,” he said.
The commissioner commended Gov. Inuwa Yahaya for providing the needed support through several interventions, including the rehabilitation of livestock routes, construction of cattle tracks, provision of watering points and improvement of grazing areas.
Discussion0