As killer-herdsmen intensify their activities across the country, Kogi State and 15 other states have ceded 1,050 square kilometres of land to the Federal Government to create the controversial “cattle colony,” BusinessDay learns.
While Kogi ceded 15,000 hectares, which translates to 150 square kilometres, other states ceded 5,000 hectares (50 square kilometres) each. The total hectares provided by 15 states amount to 900sq km of land. Already, the concerned states have commenced documentation with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
But an analyst told BusinessDay at the weekend in Abuja that the ceding of the land for colony was a time bomb waiting to explode, as subsequent governments of the concerned states may reverse the decision at a huge cost including possible violent crises.
“The state governors making the offer of land to the Federal Government, who did they contact or did they have the consent of the state houses of assembly or the people of their states,” the analysts, who do not want his name in print, asked.
The 150 square kilometres of land Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, offered with a commitment letter is equal to 1.98 percent of the state’s total landmass of 29,833 square kilometres.
Apart from Kogi, 15 other states have been documented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as part of their own commitment in the cattle colony initiative of the government by offering 5,000 hectares of land for the said purpose.
BusinessDay findings identify the states that have been documented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as Adamawa, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Borno, Jigawa and Yobe.
Others include; Niger, Kogi and Kwara states, whose governors promised to give 5,000 hectares of land each.
A plot of land is equivalent to 648sqm2, and one hectare of land is six plots. 100hectares is equivalent to 1km2. 75000 hectares is equivalent to 750km2. Also, 15000 hectares is equivalent to 150km2.
The states, according to the Land Use Act, own lands. This is why the Federal Government seeks their consent and willingness to participate in the cattle colony scheme while seeking lasting solution to farmers-herders clash ravaging many parts of the country.
The Federal Government has struggled in recent times to convince Nigerians on the issue of the controversial cattle colony, which many Nigerians have perceived as another form of colonisation of the country by the herdsmen many of whom are from the Northern part of the country where cattle rearing is dominant.
Many Nigerians are also worried that violent attacks by unscrupulous persons, among whom are terrorists masquerading as herdsmen have led to a near civil war situation in many parts of the country.
However, President Muhammadu Buhari has said the idea of ‘Cattle Colony’ was not meant to colonise any part of the country by a particular sect in the country.
In the same vein, some Farmers have criticized the Federal Government’s budgetary provision for Grazing reserves in the 2018 budgetary estimates.
In the 2018 budget estimates, the Federal Government has earmarked N5bn for Grazing reserves project, which was also defined as an on-going project, apparently reflecting in the previous budget of 2017.
Ike Ubaka,the President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria,(AFAN), has questioned the rationale in the Grazing reserve allocation since the federal government has no land on its own, and had to rely on the states for the provision of such lands.
Ubaka remarked further that that (AFAN) carried out a study with the Miyetti Allah Group in 2016 October and made a recommendation to the United Nations, through the Food and Agricultural Organisation,(FAO) that recommended ‘ranching’ as the solution to the herder-farmers clash, noting that Grazing reserve is ‘outlawed’
“In that report, our recommendation is for herders to embrace ranching, and we also recommended artificial insemination in ensuring we get better productivity from our cattle. For instance, cross-breeding our Freisian Cattle with our local breeds. The Freisian Cattle could produce about 50 litres of Milk, whereas our own does only about 2 litres”
“Recommendations were also made that the nomads will be trained on pasture grazing land management.”
There has been persistent outcry against the ancient and unproductive nomadic style of cow rearing coupled with the incessant clashes that has characterised the practice between herders and farmers.
HARRISON EDEH, ABUJA
