Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, yesterday, called on all Fulani herdsmen resident in other parts of the country, especially Benue and Taraba states, to relocate to his state since the state has vast grazing land to accommodate them and their cattle. Ganduje, a Fulani, who stated this while inspecting the vaccination of over one million cattle and other small animals’ free-of-charge at Kadawa artificial insemination centre in Garum Malam Local Government Area of the state, as part of activities to mark the 2017/2018 livestock vaccination programme, condemned the recent killings emanating from clashes between farmers and herdsmen, describing it as unacceptable.
He said the exercise was to keep the animals healthy and improve the economy of the state. He explained that the over one million cattle and small animals vaccinated for free will be free of animal diseases, adding that his administration is committed to the welfare and economic wellbeing of the Fulani herdsmen. The governor further said that as part of the government’s commitment to encourage herdsmen in the state, Kano State government has continued to provide facilities that will contain the herdsmen and their cattle to prevent them from travelling to other states in search of grazing lands. Ganduje also stated that Fulani herdsmen of Kano origin do not move out of Kano to other states because we have enough grazing land, ranches and traditional stock route. He said: ‘’So, they don’t have any reason to move out of the state. We take care of them and we accord them the respect and dignity they deserve. “I am inviting herdsmen from all parts of Nigeria to relocate to Kano because we have enough facilities to accommodate them. We have grazing lands in Rogo, Gaya, Kura, Tudun Wada, Ungogo and other reserved places where facilities are in place to accommodate the herdsmen and their cattle.” The governor also revealed that already, his administration was in collaboration with the Federal Government and foreign agencies to convert the Falgore Games Reserve into a modern grazing land. “Falgore Game Reserve can take care of millions of herdsmen and their cattle in Nigeria. The place has been designed to contain schools, human and animal clinics, markets, recreational centres and other social amenities that can give the herdsmen enough comfort to take care of their animals and do their business without hindrance. “These killings must stop. We cannot afford to continue to witness these senseless killings in the name of Fulani herdsmen and farmers clash over lack of grazing land while we have a place like the Falgore Game Reserve under utilized. “There is no longer fear of cattle rustling in Kano. Cattle rustling are now history because we fought the menace headlong. In Falgore right now, we have enough security there. Those rustlers have relocated elsewhere, while some of them who repented from their evil ways were given amnesty and rehabilitated,’’ Ganduje said. He also said that his administration has embarked on the registration of herdsmen and the numbers of their cattle to enable government take care of them through free vaccination and other incentives that will addvalue to their business. “A Cattle Intervention centre has been established to address the challenges associated with rumination of herdsmen within Kano. Just recently, we sponsored the training of over 61Fulani who were sent to Turkey to learn artificial insemination. “They are back to Kano and I must tell you that they are doing well in various places to have been assigned to do their job,” he stated.
Source: Vanguard
