Miyetti Allah To Ortom: ‘We’re Ready To Dialogue With You On Open Grazing’

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) says it is ready to dialogue with Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State over the enactment of anti-open grazing law.

Naija News reports that governor Ortom and the group have been at loggerheads over the enactment of the law banning open grazing in the North Central state.

During a press briefing last week Wednesday in Markurdi, the state capital, Ortom alleged that MACBAN is fuelling crisis in the state because it wants his administration to repeals the law.

But in an interview with The PUNCH on Monday, National Secretary of MACBAN, Baba Othman Ngelzarma, denied the claim that the group was executing violence and responsible for the loss of lives in the state.

He said the group was not interested in exchanging words with the governor, but to see an end to the senseless killing of innocent people.

Ngelzarma said MACBAN is open to constructive discussions to find lasting solutions that will bring to an end all these uncivilised behaviours.

He said, “We are not interested in the exchange of unnecessary comments that will not do anybody any good. As a responsible association, we want to see an end to this senseless killing of innocent people. We, as an association, respect all constituted authorities and believe in law and order and hold all state governors in high esteem as chief security officers of their states.

“We also believe that the Benue State governor has sworn to protect the lives and economic well-being of all his citizens, irrespective of their socioeconomic/ethnoreligious backgrounds.

“The law only ends up suffocating both farmers and herders to make them bankrupt. Ortom, as a deeply religious person, knows very well that one day he will be called to account by the Almighty for how he manages his state during his tenure as governor.

“MACBAN is never in any doubt about the position of governors being the controllers of state security and land and the Houses of Assembly being responsible for making laws. But all we desire is justice, equality and fairness in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.

“Our doors will remain open for constructive discussions to find lasting solutions that will bring to an end all this uncivilised behaviour.”