By Terver Akase
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has reiterated his call for the establishment of ranches as a way of ending frequent clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country.
Governor Ortom repeated his position when he appeared on ‘Weekend File,’ a network programme of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA.
The presenter, Funmi Wakama, ex-rayed farmers and herders conflicts across the country before discussing the issue with the Governor.
He said the establishment of ranches will serve as the permanent solution although there were other short and medium term measures which include grazing reserves as suggested by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh.
According to him, the establishment of ranches remained the best global best practice in animal husbandry saying it explained why there was no clash between farmers and herders in countries that have domesticated the practice and wondered why Nigeria has not adopted the method.
He suggested synergy between states and the Federal Government in the implementation of the policy.
In the interim, the Governor said measures that would promote peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders must be promoted and infringement on the right of either party should be handled within the ambit of the law without resort to self.
Governor Ortom expressed confidence in the recent joint security meeting he initiated with his counterpart in Nasarawa, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura where a communique was issued on the roadmap to peace in border communities of Benue and Nasarawa States.
He said the relative peace currently witnessed in the state had been achieved through advocacy and dialogue with the relevant groups, assuring that his administration had intensified collaboration with security agencies to tackle pockets of crimes in some parts of the state.
