Ekitiparapo Lagos and Ekitipanupo Forum; the two foremost bodies of Ekitis in diaspora have expressed shock over the adoption of the FG Livestock Transformation Programme by His Excellency, Gov. Kayode Fayemi.
The Ekitis in Diaspora are concerned over the adoption of the programme by Ekiti State Government that seeks to donate lands to herdsmen for grazing. We note that the Federal Government two years ago had introduced RUGA which was later renamed Livestock Transformation Programme with the same objectives of allocating lands to herdsmen for the purpose of grazing and settlement.
As a result of increasing spate of insecurity by herdsmen in the State, it is worrisome that the State Government could contemplate warehousing herdsmen in the State and further increase the spate of killing and insecurity. On 26th January, 2021 it was reported that Fulani herdsmen destroyed 235 hectares multi million Naira farms belonging to Members of Maize Growers & Marketers Association. On 16th January, 2021 a pregnant woman was hacked to death by Fulani herdsmen in Ido/Osi Local Government. Two (2) farmers were killed by herdsmen on 7th March, 2021 at Isaba Ekiti. Another death recorded along Ikere – Iju road on 13th March, 2021 among several other incidents. The roads linking Aramoko to Ijero, Ikere to Iju and Ita – Ore junctions have become kidnapping spots. Currently, those in the various communities live in continuous fear and many people cannot come home for the fear of being kidnapped or abducted.
Ekiti State boasts of many abandoned farm settlements specially developed during the old western region which could be deployed through public/private partnership for the development of livestock and employment creation for our youths rather than allocating our scarce lands to Fulani herdsmen under the guise of livestock transformation.
It is a common knowledge that the State has the capacity to develop its livestock potentials by engaging the unemployed youths in the State, more over the Northern States where these herdsmen come from have enough land mass to accommodate their activities. Those who want to engage in cattle business can go up North to buy and bring to the south as they do for other items.
There are no security measures that can ever be adequately put in place to stop the killing of our people with this proposed plan. It is not the absence of grazing reserve that is encouraging the menace of Fulani herdsmen but the allure of ransom from kidnapping which can never be realized from the sales of cattle. Let the truth be told, by making the State a grazing destination, the Government has inadvertently plunged Ekiti into future crisis and insecurity. We hope that the State Government will not by this act expose our people into an endless wanton destruction of lives and properties by the herdsmen.
While we are not out as people to profile a particular ethnic group (because crime is universal), but the increase in killings across the State bears the same pattern since the influx of these herdsmen into our State. We must learn from the experiences of the People of Southern Kaduna. It is not too late to prevent a future disaster by pulling out of the FG Livestock Transformation Programme as some wise States have done already. A stitch in time saves nine.
Ure Èkìtì á so jú ra o.
Eng Dare Ojo
President, Ekitiparapo Lagos.
Akinyemi Gabriel
Leader, Ekitipanupo Roundtable Initiative.
