NASARAWA State government has set up an 18-man disciplinary committee in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area to monitor and punish any Fulani cattle herdsman found disturbing the peace.
Established after a meeting between leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (Macaba) and Eggon Cultural and Development Association (ECDA), the committee was set up in Nasarawa Eggon. To spread the message further, the ECDA is also expected to set up similar committee to identify and monitor trouble makers and take appropriate action to preserve the peace.
During the meeting participants identified alcoholism and intake of hard drugs among youth as the major cause of clashes between farmers and herdsmen and between communities in the area. They therefore, called on the state government to ban the sale of hard drugs and close down any outlet engaged in the practice.
At the meeting, Macaba chairman Muhammad Hussaini and ECDA president James Manza, restated their commitment to jointly preach peace to their members. They agreed that peaceful co-existence between farmers and the herdsmen was necessary in boosting agricultural production and socio economic development.
Both leaders, therefore, urged their members to live peacefully with one another and report anyone engaged in acts that would compromise the peace and stability of the community. They said that, henceforth, any breaches recorded should be promptly reported to security agencies, traditional and community leaders as well as leadership of the associations, for amicable settlement.
Akolo Success-Ahmed, the chairman of the Interim Management Committee of the local government, said: “As a politician and a stakeholder, my role is to preach peace, unity and to advise my subjects and others Nigerians to live in peace and tolerate one another irrespective of ethnic, religion and political affiliation for the overall development of the country. No nation or society can develop in an atmosphere of rancour and confusion.
“The security challenges facing some parts of the country had affected our lives and socio-economic development of the country negatively. It is in view of this, I want to call on all of us, especially the farmers and herdsmen, not to take the law in to their hand but to embrace dialogue and report their grievances to the appropriate authority in order to fast track development in the state and the country at large."
He added that violence can only do more harm than good to a society, hence the need for Nigerians especially the farmers and herdsmen to see dialogue as the best conflict resolution mechanism. According to Mr Success-Ahmed, this is needed to boost food production and achieve speedy development in the society.
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