Herdsmen Tender Fresh Demands Before Government

The Bauchi State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore (herdsmen), a Fulani socio-cultural association, has appealed to the state government to establish additional earth dams and expand grazing reserve areas in the state.

Naija News reports that the call was made by the state chairman of the association, Muhammadu Hussaini, when he interacted with journalists in Bauchi on Sunday, August 4.

“The additional earth dams and expansion of grazing reserve areas will curtail the clashes between farmers and cattle herdsmen and it will reduce movement of Fulani from one place to another in search of water and grazing reserve,” Hussaini said.

According to him, all the cattle routes were taken over by modern roads and houses built by government and individuals with no replacement, an action he said puts herdsmen in a difficult position.

The Bauchi Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore chairman asked the state government to provide them with subsidized cotton seed for their cows, adding that “it’s very important presently the sack of the cottonseed is being sold between ₦3,500 to ₦4, 000 and if government subsidized it Fulani will buy it between ₦1,500 to ₦2,000 and this will make them stay in one place and educate their children”.

Hussaini identified a shortage of teachers in Fulani nomadic schools as one their major problems and advised the government to employ more teachers and supervise them to ensure that they are attending to the schools regularly instead of attending the school once in a week as has been happening in many nomadic schools.

The chairman appreciated Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir, the governor of Bauchi state for pledging to implement the newly-introduced Ruga programme by the Federal government, and assured him of their support towards the success of the exercise.

Speaking further, Bauchi Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore chairman advised the government to emulate Jigawa State government by demarcating 50 meters at cattle route from the main road.