Buhari Govt Has Made History With The Way It Handled Farmer-Herdsmen Clashes In Nigeria – Presidency

Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu has submitted that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has done what no other government has been able to do concerning the frequent clashes between herders and farmers in Nigeria.

He claimed said since the country’s independence in 1960, only the Buhari government has been able to provide a workable solution to the challenges posed by the clashes between herdsmen and farmers.

The president’s media aide made the submission on Friday while delivering a paper at the 10th anniversary of the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA), Katsina state.

According to him, the government was able to profer a workable solution to the security challenge because it takes the issue as one of major concern.

One of the solutions listed by Shehu during his presentation is the ongoing efforts for the establishment of cattle ranches across the country.

He said: “It is a fact that the Buhari administration is the only government of Nigeria that has put forward a workable solution to the herder-farmer challenge in all the years since independence,” he was quoted as saying.

“The threat to civilians and peaceful co-existence between different ethnic and religious groups from farmer-herders clashes, banditry and land disputes are of serious concern to the Buhari government.

“It is incorrect, however, to assert that the government has or is doing nothing to address the threats.

“Firstly, there are ongoing efforts for the establishment of cattle ranches to prevent or curtail open grazing, the practice that brings herders and farmers into conflict.

“This is an age-old problem facing Nigerian governments since the colonial days. However, matters of land distribution are dealt with at state level.

“This means willingness has to be shown by state governors to drive the process forward. The Federal government launched a plan last year to work with states to address these issues together.

“Unfortunately, this has been lacking in some states, and with regards to the long and determined battle waged against Boko Haram, Nigerians are aware of the efforts made by this government.

Speaking further on the general insecurity in the country and the challenges posed by Boko Haram terrorists and other insurgents, the presidential spokesperson submitted that remarkable progress has been made in curtailing the insecurity, adding that the progress recorded by this administration can’t be denied.

“When the government came to power, the terrorist group held and administered an area the size of Belgium. Now they hold none. The terrorists are hiding out amongst remote forests and across borders.

“This makes it difficult to extinguish the final flames of the insurgency, and the government has no illusions of the potent threat still posed. Recent statistics have shown that over 14,500 Boko Haram members have voluntarily surrendered,” he said.

Meanwhile, bandit terrorists operating in the North-west and North-central regions of the country have been declared as insurgent groups by a Nigerian court.

Naija News reports that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Ministry of Justice had filed a motion ex-parte on behalf of the Federal Government to the effect.

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mohammed Abubakar, said the order to tag bandits as terrorists was given by President Muhammadu Buhari.