Some senators have expressed concerns over plans by the Federal Government to establish farm settlements in each of the 108 senatorial districts in Nigeria.
They noted that any arrangement to acquire land by the Federal Government at the moment without giving details of what it would be used for, might face stiff resistance from various communities.
The President had last month, directed the National Agricultural Land Development Authority to set up the integrated farm estates in 108 senatorial districts nationwide.
Already, the policy has been greeted with criticisms from the leadership of the various ethnic groups in the middle belt, and southern part of the country, describing it as an attempt in disguise, to create grazing areas for cattle.
The Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, Matthew Urhoghide, said the Federal Government should give details of the project before approaching state governments for land allocation.
He said, “We are in the Senate to represent our people. I know what my people want
“What we quarrel against is open grazing; we are not against ranching. We are not saying that a Fulani man that has a herd of cattle cannot come to the South to do the business of ranching but he cannot come to carry out open grazing.
“Grazing has two effects. It leads to wanton destruction of farmland. You cannot use animal husbandry to destroy crop farming. There are also criminal cases associated with it including murder.
“If the Federal Government is coming to get land in my state for ranching, it is okay because we need beef, which would be richer, when it is from the ranching system.
“However, the government should make its intention very clear on the policy to avoid major clashes and crisis.”
Similarly, Senator Abba Moro, representing Benue South in the red chamber said government could make arrangements for herders to do the business of ranching but not at the expense of the farmers.
He advised the Federal Government to go to the drawing board and come up with a modern arrangement to make ranching the way to go.
He said, “When government policies are viewed with suspicion, when citizens lack trust in government policies, then something is wrong.
“Until we address the root causes of conflicts between herders and farmers, and genuinely come out with the right way to go through dialogue, any policy that is thrown at the citizens will be looked at with suspicion which would cause some level of tension.
“I believe that in the face of the current conflicts between herders and farmers, it is not appropriate for government to think of establishing ranches or cattle colonies in any part of the country.”
Also the Senator representing Niger North, Sabi Abdullahi, said the establishment of farm settlements would not resolve the issue of farmers – herders clashes.
The veterinary doctor said, “What the government is doing right now is not sufficient to address the issue we are facing in the country.
“Even the livestock transformation programme, as far as I am concerned, is deficient because we don’t know our livestock population.
“The last census was conducted in 1990 to ascertain the actual number of cattle in this country. The number of cattle, by projection, is put at 27 million, while sheep and goat are said to be about 11 million.
“The concern is that nobody is talking about the feed needs of the animals. People are kicking against open grazing but where is the feed for the animals?
“Even when land has been allocated for the feed, have we established the type of crops growing on such land? Is it what the animals need to eat?
“As far as I am concerned, until we tackle the livestock feeds challenge, this issue will always be there because no one can control hungry animals. They would find ways to eat whatever they see”
Already, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has described the planned 108 farm estatesas herders’ settlements in disguise
It criticised the President for the plan while reacting earlier in the month to the directive by the President to the National Agricultural Land Development Authority to set up the integrated farm estates nationwide.
In a statement by the Secretary General of the group, Mr Sola Ebiseni, Afenifere described the planned programme of the Federal Government as another “veiled strategy of acquiring land in furtherance of the settlement of herdsmen across Nigeria.”
According to him, the integrated farm estates are designed to accommodate all forms of agricultural practices, including animal husbandry, which will effectively earmark a portion of the acquired vast land “as effective grazing reserves without saying so.”
He said, “Nigerians are in no way deceived that the urgency purportedly attached to the programme by President Buhari is of equal proportional zeal with the creation of settled villages for Fulani herdsmen, from everywhere and nowhere, on the ancestral lands of other nationalities, which in the fullness of time will become colonies of tyranny as they are in Southern Kaduna, on the Plateau and many other parts of the Middle Belt.
“The cry across the land is that our President should rise to his primary responsibility of ensuring security of life and property, especially for the farmers, that they may feed the nation. If we may ask, will the Federal Government also build military barracks stronger than the Nigerian Defence Academy in those farm estates?
“President Buhari needs also be reminded that none of his predecessors, who showed greater interests in agriculture, was this covetous of land and seeking to work over and above the federating states; not even the military government of Obasanjo in its Operation Feed the Nation, nor Shehu Shagari’s Green Revolution.
“Rather than seeking land by force, which it has no powers over by the constitution and the Land Use Act, and imposing the type of agricultural practices on the states, let the Federal Government provide resources and incentives to the states in their areas of comparative advantage. Thus, in their choice of agricultural endeavours, the Niger Delta states may choose aquaculture, while the North-West sticks to animal husbandry. The President has not denied that his government has disbursed more than N6bn to his Katsina home state for ranching without breathing over them for specific land.
“Apart from the Federal Government having no powers over land, it cannot also compel the states to acquire the ancestral land of other people for the personal use of others. Constitutionally though, agriculture is under the concurrent legislative list; the powers of the Federal Government thereon under item ‘H’ of the Constitution, paragraphs 17-20, are limited and not extended to any activities giving it powers over land in view of the Land Use Act, which has equal constitutional status.”
The group called on the people to reject the planned programme of the Federal Government, which it described as a Greek gift.
“For the states in the South-West, including Edo and Delta, this government has nothing to teach us in farm estates. Let Buhari chase the killer terrorists from our land that the people may prosper. We are sceptical of these Greek gifts.”
The Punch
