Apparently apprehending open grazing as the root cause of the prevailing tension between herders and farmers nationwide, North-west governors at yesterday’s meeting with security chiefs in Kaduna, reportedly sought more time to develop ranches seen to be the panacea for the raging conflict in the country.
A reliable source close to the meeting revealed last night that although the governors expressed reservations over the profiling of herders from the Northern part of the country, more recently in the South-west, they, however, agreed that the lasting solution to the incessant conflict is ranching but asked for more time to develop the modern way of animal husbandry.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), service chiefs, and heads of other security and intelligence agencies had met with the governors as part of a planned tour of the six zones of the country to discuss with stakeholders the way out of the worsening security.
The security chiefs assured the governors that efforts are being intensified to arrest the worsening insecurity in the country and proposed another meeting to draw up a roadmap to better security in the regio
In a bid to develop a road map for peace and security in the region, it was resolved that a date for a follow-up meeting of the North-west stakeholders would be announced to fully deliberate and agree on the new road map,” a statement issued by the ONSA said last night.
Monguno, in company with the Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor; Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao; the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo; and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, at a town hall meeting on the security crisis in the country, in Kaduna, said President Muhammadu Buhari was determined to end insecurity in the country.
While Gambo was represented by an official, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Muri, stood in for Adamu.
The meeting with governors of the seven states in the North-west and other stakeholders was conveyed to discuss the security challenges bedevilling the region.
As parts of efforts to reinvigorate the fight against insecurity, Irabor told the gathering that the country’s security architecture is being reviewed.
The northern governors, however, asked for more time to implement the ranching option to end the crisis occasioned by transhumance, which has led to frequent clashes between herders and farmers.
The seven states in the North-west, especially Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara, have been under constant attacks by bandits, who invade villages, kill, rape and abduct people for ransom.
The meeting, which was supposed to be a town hall meeting with the governors and key stakeholders in the region to discuss the security challenges, however, did not hold as many of the stakeholders, especially traditional, religious and community leaders did not attend due to the short notice given them.
However, all the seven governors – Kaduna (Malam, Nasir el-Rufai); Kano (Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje); Katsina (Hon. Bello Masari); Kebbi (Senator Atiku Bagudu); Sokoto (Hon. Aminu Tambuwal), and Zamfara (Hon. Bello Matawalle) as well as the chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Simon Lalong, attended.
Addressing the gathering, the NSA said the purpose of the meeting was to address the security challenges facing the country.
According to him, with the new service chiefs, there is a new direction in confronting the security challenges.