Fresh mix-up in presidency as Buhari faces dilemma of clannish pressures over killer herdsmen

There are emerging indications that the Nigerian presidency may have been thrown into a fresh mix-up over solutions to the invasion of communities, destruction of farmlands and killing of unarmed citizens, including kidnapping by killer herdsmen in several states of the country. Some stakeholders in the polity have expressed concerns that the president appears to be under clannish pressures in responding to the crisis of the herdsmen invasion of communities.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had in a statement on Monday indicated that President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed a strong resolve to address the conflicts of herders and farmers in a sustained and lasting manner that should lead to the emergence of a permanent solution to the frequent clashes between them, as well as the associated problem of the gun-wielding “killer herdsmen.”

Garba Shehu in an unnecessary argument emphasized that the President had approved a number of specific measures to bring permanent end to the frequent skirmishes as recommended by Alhaji Sabo Nanono, Minister of Agriculture, in a report he submitted, noting that the President signed off on it back in April, well before the actions of the Southern Governors Forum which placed ban on open grazing and other acts of politicking intended by its signatories to demonstrate their power.

He noted: “it is very clear that there was no solution offered from their resolutions to the herder-farmer clashes that have been continuing in our country for generations.”

The president, however, acknowledged that the citizens of the southern states – indeed, citizens of all states of Nigeria – have a right to expect their elected leaders and representatives to find answers to challenges of governance and rights, and not to wash their hands off hard choices by, instead, issuing bans that say: “not in my state.”

He further argued that “It is equally true that their announcement is of questionable legality, given the Constitutional right of all Nigerians to enjoy the same rights and freedoms within every one of our 36 states (and FCT) -regardless of the state of their birth or residence.

“Fortunately, this declaration has been preempted, for whatever it is intended to achieve and Mr. President, who has rightly been worried about these problems more than any other citizen in consultation with farmers and herders alike, commissioned and approved an actionable plan of rehabilitating grazing reserves in the states, starting with those that are truly committed to the solution and compliant with stated requirements.”
President Buhari, however, did not clarify if “the Constitutional right of all Nigerians to enjoy the same rights and freedoms within every one of our 36 states, irrespective of their state of origin or residence…” includes movement of animals, in this case, cattle. Also, the president was silent on whether such constitutional right includes violence, kidnapping, raping, destruction of farmlands, killings and invasion of communities, then, state actors would do nothing.

The rate of killings and other forms of insecurity by the killer herdsmen which state actors at the federal level branded herders/farmers clash has become alarming, limiting the space for governance across the country. The perennial incidence of insecurity shows that the perpetrators have occupied more space in the society than the government at all levels. In some states, schools have been shut down when students are not on holiday.

Meanwhile, the president maintained in his solutions that “with veterinary clinics, water points for animals, and facilities for herders and their families including schooling – through these rehabilitated reserves, the Federal Government is making far-reaching and practical changes allowing for different communities to co-exist side-by-side: supporting farmers to till their fields, herders to rear their livestock and Nigerians everywhere to be safe.”

According to the president: “the entire country is acutely aware of the strain the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on public finances, for both Federal and States. Still, given the pressing urgency of addressing the perennial challenges, the federal funding for the project that has been delayed is now being partly unlocked.

“Actual work for the full actualization of the modern reserve system in a few of the consenting states should take off in June.”