Falae Blames Plateau Killings On Northern Leaders

Olu Falae, SDP, National Chairman

The secretary to the military government of Ibrahim Babangida, Chief Olu Falae, have shifted the blame of crisis caused by herdsmen in Nigeria to the state in the Region.

The political leader stated that state governments in the region abandoned the policy introduced by former leaders to take care of herders.

He made this assertion while on he Channels Television’s Roadmap 2019, a political programme that would be aired on Monday.

He disclosed that late Sir Ahmadu Bello – the then premier of the Northern region and Sardauna of Sokoto made proper arrangement for herdsmen to ply their sport.

The former minister of finance recalled that during the period, there were grazing reserves while all kinds of facilities were provided for the herdsmen and their cattle.

“The problem of the herdsmen has been exacerbated by the failure of many of the state governments in the North to take care of the needs of the herdsmen.’’ he said.

The also pointed to the the reduccion of Lake chad as one of the reason for the endless clashes between Farmers and Herdsmen.

Falae, who was allegedly kidnap in September 2015 in Akure, the Ondo State capital, he also suffered another loss in January 2018 when his farm was razed in the South-western state.

In further reaction to the herdsmen crisis, he repeatedly called on the Federal Government to take proactive steps in addressing the matter.

The elder statesman asked the government to tackle the depletion of the Lake Chad, erosion, as well as the Boko Haram insurgency among other challenges.

“Over one million people are herdsmen who earn their livelihood from the lake can no longer do so.

“Added to that, are those uprooted by Boko Haram and then, desertification has been continuously eroding the arable land in Nigeria.

“When you put all these factors together, you find a tremendous pressure on herdsmen and their cattle and the response should have come from the state governments and the Federal Government to take care of their needs because they are Nigerians who are entitled to their livelihood,” Falae added.