Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy group: Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA) has lambasted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for creating a separate ministry other than Agriculture and Rural development and named it Ministry for livestock just as the Rights group said the President was simply rewarding the terrorists under the banner of Miyetti Allah whose members have terrorised farmers and killed, maimed and destroyed farmers, their farm lands and housing assets all over Nigeria.
Tinubu’s government has by this action of illegally carving out a federal ministry for cattle breeders, granted a seal of approval to all the violence the armed herders unleashed on farmers just as the Rights group demanded that President Bola Tinubu should compensate farmers for the deaths and loses from the destruction of their crops and farmlands that they the farmers suffered in the hands of armed Fulani herders who have now been donated a federal ministry for livestock which is a cover for rewarding the terrorism of Fulani herders guilty of killing farmers.
HURIWA described the action of government as reckless, ruthlessly insensitive, irresponsible, provocative and dangerous.
HURIWA recalled that the President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday announced the creation of a new Ministry of Livestock Development in what is erroneously portrayed as a bold move to stop the recurring clashes between herders and farmers resulting in destruction of lives and property across the country.
He said: “This presents a unique opportunity to delineate and establish a separate ministry called the Ministry of Livestock Development. We will develop the economy, give people the opportunity to excel. Our vet doctors can give us the necessary opportunity to rear, crossbreeding and stop the wanton killings. Even animal feeds are a huge economy”.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Livestock Reform Implementation Committee at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja, the President explained that the creation of the new ministry was sequel to the recommendation of the Presidential panel on reform of Livestock industry set up to provide long term solution to constant clashes between farmers and herders in September, 2023.
He said: “The far reaching recommendation in their report, informed our decision to constitute and inaugurate this Presidential Committee on the Implementation of Livestock Reforms and seize the great opportunity to better the lives of our people, rather than the conflict promoted agenda.
It is our renewed hope and I believe that hope is here. Trying to see a great opportunity for wealth in a situation that is very conducive. I must mention here that, I have discussed in a number of occasions with the governors, the need to seize this opportunity, let’s run with it from here”.
President Tinubu also said his administration would adopt the recommendation of ranching by the committee.
HURIWA which condemned the creation of the Livestock ministry as a waste of public funds to advance the private businesses of the cattle grazing population dominated by the Fulanis stated that it is unconstitutional since that policy is singling out a particular line of trade for special treatment by the government deploying public funds whereas the same government that claimed to be solving the so-called conflicts between farmers who are usually at the receiving end of vicious violent attacks and the herders who are usually armed Fulani herders and are the aggressors terrorising farmers with their cattle.
The Rights group asked why President Tinubu didn’t create another distinctive ministry for farmers but instead has diverted public funds to support one ethnic group whose members are largely cattle breeders in Nigeria.
HURIWA also carpeted the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for failing to go after armed Fulani terrorists masquerading as herdsmen who have killed thousands of Nigerians but instead the government has perfected plans to reward terrorism of the armed herders.
HURIWA said it was shocking that at a time the government should be downsizing government to save costs of governance, Tinubu has rather embarked on the wild goose chase of placating terrorists who are armed herders.
