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Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state, met privately with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday to seek security help for the resettlement of the displaced 175,000 Benue farmers.
Uncertainty has continued to trail the safe return of the farmers are eager to return to their farm lands from where they were sacked by the rampaging Fulani herdsman.
Governor Ortom who briefed State House Correspondents after meeting with President Buhari, said he was at the Presidential Villa to seek help
” I am here to intimate him of the plight of over 175,000 IDPs that we have in eight camps. They have expressed their desire to go back home”
The Governor said President Buhari is “very passionate about their plight and have assured me that government will swing into action to ensure that rehabilitation is done to those homes that were displaced”
The farmers are in need of new homes following the destruction of their houses and means of livelihoods.
Ortom applauded President Buhari’s concern and assurances adding that ” l believe that the meeting we held and the subsequent ones that we are going to hold will definitely proffer a solution to this perennial problem and we sought it out ones and for all”
The State has insisted that it remains committed to the ranching law, adding that ” I believe that that is the way forward”
“Like I keep saying, if people have better options, let them bring it to the table. For us in Benue State, that remains the global best practice and Nigeria can not be an exception especially when the land is decreasing and the population is increasing”
He called for the adoption of global best practices and modern ways of animal husbandry adding that this will go a long way to help the country.
“And I think that for us in Benue, we are wining because even Miyetti Allah, have accepted that truly, ranching remains the best option. And we commend them and we will work with them to see how our law will can ware human face to ensure that we have a win-win for all.
“And you will recall that the issue of cattle rustling is very major problem to the cattle rearers in Nigeria. Ranching will minimize this problem in Nigeria, it will minimize attacks on farms and encroachment on farms. So, we encourage everyone to work with us to ensure that we achieve this.”
“The 20million cattle in Nigeria can not cope with open grazing, there is no doubt about that and a solution has to be created just as it is done in India with over 300million herds of cattle, in Brazil 250million herds of cattle and in America 300million but yet, there has not been clashes like we have witnessed in Nigeria with just 20million cattle ”
” It is quite assuring that it will be well and I want to thank the President for the support he has shown. I know that this crisis did not just start during his tenure, it precedes this government. When I was serving as minister, my ancestral home was destroyed, 53 people were killed and this was in 2013 when Mr. President was not yet here.”
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
