*”Insists law not implementable for now
By Ezeocha Nzeh
Kaduna state Governor, Nasiir El – rufai has told his southern governors colleagues that the North would require much money and time to set ranches for its numerous herders and end the much talked about open grazing.
The Southern Governors Forum has instructed all governors from the zero be to sign the anti grazing bill into law in their various states to ban the unlawfulness movement of cattle in the country.
Governor El’ rufai, who spoke to journalists DT APC national secretariat in Abuja stated that much as the Northern Governors have agreed to replace open grazing with ranches, the governors would require enough time and money to actualize that.
“The northern state governor’s forum has already taken a position that open grazing is not a sustainable way of livestock production. And we must move towards ranching.
“But moving towards ranching cannot be done overnight. We have to develop the plan, We have to have resources and we have to implement it sensibly. It is not a matter of populist legislation or saying tomorrow this or that. It is not a solution. We have taken a position as northern state governors and we are implementing that.
“In my, state, for instance, we are developing a huge ranch to centralize the herders. And that is the solution, a long time. But can it be done overnight? No”, he said.
He emhasized that ranching projects are will cost each state about N10b, per ranch adding thst the CBN is supporting them with about 7.5billion as the project will take about two years to do.
“We will be settling Fulani herdsmen and their family. And I hope that they will see that there are alternative ways of producing livestock instead of running up and down with cattle going to people’s farms to cause all kinds of problems. We want to solve the problem.
“What is unhelpful is politicising the situation and pass legislation that you know that you cannot implement. So, we have taken a position and we are working round the clock to implement that position.
“These herders emanate from the north and we are going to centralize them. We cannot do it overnight. We need billions of naira. This is just one ranch that is causing N10 billion. I have 14 grazing reserves in Kaduna state and I will like to convert them into ranches. Do I have 14 times 10 billion naira? I don’t have it.
“If the federal government will give me a hundred and fourteen billion, I will convert the other thirteen into ranches and make sure that nobody comes out with a cow or sheep in Kaduna state because I will have enough ranches to take care of everybody. That is the solution. You can legislate, but let us wait and see. And I wish them the best of luck”.
