Osinbajo Holds Meeting With Seven Governors Over Farmers, Herdsmen Crisis

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday met with seven state governors and discussed the crisis ongoing between herdsmen and farmers across some states.

The chairman of the governors forum, Zamfara state governor, Abdulaziz Yari, told State House correspondents at the end of the meeting that the committee was set up by the National Economic Council, NEC, during its last meeting.

“This committee is a NEC committee established by the Vice President so that this issue of herdsmen/farmers clashes will be put to rest,” he said.

Mr. Yari said the conflict between farmers and herdsmen is an issue that most governors have been battling with, especially in some states such as Zamfara since 2007.

“Now the states and federal government under the leadership of the Vice President, agreed to have a small committee at NEC so that the situation will not get out of hand, so that it won’t be looked at as an ethnicity crisis or religious crisis,” he said.

Mr. Yari disclosed that the forum set up a sub committee on Thursday headed by governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, while Plateau and Adamawa governors are members, adding that more persons are expected to join the committee from states such as Benue, Taraba, Zamfara and Adamawa where the crisis is prevalent so that they can interface with the Miyetti Allah and other groups to find a lasting solution to the conflict.

However, he lamented that some persons have taken the farmers/herders clash as a money-making venture and some criminals hide under the conflict to perpetrate evil act.

“As government we have to take all the measures despite the fact that the Army, Police, all the security agents are on the field at the respective places, yet, we have to form this committee to interface with those actors so that this matter can be reduced to the barest minimum and possibly wiped off,” he said.