By Williams Orji
In what looks like the best way to arrest the incessant herdsmen/farmers clash, the Kano State Government has initiated a training programme that would see that herdsmen are taught modern animal husbandry.
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who disclosed this during an interactive session with journalists at the State Liaison Office in Abuja, said that about 70 children of herdsmen had been sent to Turkey for training in artificial insemination, even as two modern artificial insemination centres, where modern animal husbandry would be practiced, had been constructed in the state.
He also hinted that the state government plans to construct dams and equally mapped out five grazing areas in Falgore forest, with facilities provided, to encourage the herdsmen and their families to stay in the state.
He said: a�?In Kano, we are blessed with some dams and grazing areas. You must know that the Middle Belt is more blessed with grazing areas and that is why the problem is concentrated in the Middle Belt because the climate is different. The climate is more friendly there than in the extreme North. We have started providing some facilities and have identified five grazing areas and we are discouraging our herdsmen from going outside the state.
a�?We want to use the Falgore forest, especially now that the security situation has improved. We have designed how to construct some dams. We had to start with feasibility study and that is what we are doing. There are some rivers and dams in the forest which we have to harness to provide some facilities for herdsmen. That is why we are inviting them to come.a�?
On the security situation in the state, Governor Ganduje explained that inter agency collaboration amongst the security agencies operating in the state and cooperation with host communities, who normally provide information to the security agencies in the state, has been the best tonic that has helped in improving security situation as presently witnessed in the state.
a�?There is good coordination among the security agencies and good coordination with the communities and that brought out a lot of information from the communities. I am sure you heard that a lot of Boko Haram commanders were arrested in Kano because Kano was a good hiding place for them, as a mega city where you can easily blend among others. With modern security gadgets, the security agents are able to fish them out. We are working hand in hand with the communities. Also, we have addressed the problem of cattle rustling and we discovered that the Fulanis themselves were part of the problem because they were also snatching cattle from their brothers. We sat down with them and I was able to provide them with some empowerment. Since we entered into that agreement, we have not had any issue of cattle rustling in Kano,a�? he explained.
Kano trains herdsmena��s children in Turkey
