The Paramount Ruler and King of Iwo land, Osun state, Nigeria, His Royal Majesty, Oba AbdulRasheed Adewale Akanbi, has tackled the Federal Government of Nigeria over policy on cattle colony and the opposition to anti-grazing Act, saying that field grazing and cattle roaming is barbaric and should be abolished at once as it does conform to modernization and 21st century development of any country.
Oba AbdulRasheed said this at a meeting with stakeholders at his palace where they deliberated on the solutions to the Fulani herdsmen incessant attacks on innocent Nigerians. The royal father said that no government that wants to move forward will encourage grazing and that there’s no place in the world where government acquires land on behalf of herdsmen for the purpose of cattle grazing.
He added that the herdsmen can either rent, lease or buy lands for pen/byre construction to accommodate their cattle and that it is at the farmer’s or land owner’s discretion to sell to them.
“The herdsmen got it wrong due to lack of education towards animal farming in the 21st century. The alternative to grazing is pen with sufficient hay storage. This will help restrict the cows to the confines of the pen- which is a controlled area. That is how it is done in advanced country. You can never see herdsmen grazing cattle in Europe,” the Oluwo said.
“The herdsmen can even purchase hays to feed the cows which can be purchased from the farmers thereby establishing and sustaining a peaceful affinity with farmers across Nigeria,” He added.
Oba AbdulRasheed, however, advised the federal government that the solution to Fulani herdsmen/farmers recurring clash is proper orientation and education on modernized animal farming and not acquiring hectares of land on behalf of herdsmen as grazing zone across the federation.