MIYETTI Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) says President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to states affected by farmer-herdsmen crisis will encourage them to think positively to end the conflicts.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Buhari commenced a tour to Taraba, Benue, Zamfara, Yobe and Rivers States, which witnessed violence recently for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

Alhaji Baba Ngelzarma, the National Secretary of MACBAN, told NAN in Abuja on Tuesday that the President’s visit would also encourage and boost the performance of security personnel in the states.

According to him, the visit will help to enrich the President’s knowledge so that solutions will be proffered once and for all to solve these issues.

“This is quite good; it will bring a lot of hope to both parties (farmers and herdsmen).

“Now that the President has personally shown concern, it will encourage each and everybody to begin to see how peace can be brought back to those areas.

“It will give him an opportunity to see things for himself, listen to major stakeholders, he now has the opportunity to see things the way they are instead of receiving reports from security agencies under him.

“He also has the opportunity to listen, interact directly with those that are affected by the crisis.

“It is our hope that this visit will help to douse the tension between farmers and herders because this crisis has taken a lot of time and degenerated from a resource base crisis to include other assets,’’ he said.

Ngelzarma appealed to Buhari to adopt a holistic approach in solving the crisis.

He said that some National executive of the association were presently in Ebonyi to meet with Gov. Dave Umahi, who heads the National Economic Council Committee on Farmers and Herdsmen clashes.

The publicity secretary said the association was in the state to proffer suggestions on the way forward toward resolving the crisis in various states of the country.

“We have come to discuss with the governor on the way forward, to also proffer suggestions from our own perspectives, the way we feel the crisis can be brought to an end.

“We are in Ebonyi to also sensitise our members on how they should do their things because sensitisation is key to resolving this crisis. So we have to design ways on how our members can be sensitised.

“Community based approach is important to bring an end to the crisis,’’ he said.

Ngelzarma alao advised members of association to be law abiding and peaceful as well as to fish out criminals among them. (NAN)

– Mar. 13, 2018 @ 15:49 GMT |