Yoruba elders under the umbrella of Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), on Thursday, urged state Houses of Assemblies in the South-West geo-political zone as well as Kwara and Kogi States to promulgate laws that will see an end to open grazing.
YCE, while kicking against open grazing within the South-West geopolitical zone, called on state legislators in these states, to urgently enact laws outlawing nomadic grazing in Yorubaland.
The group in a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital where new leaders were elected, said grazing routes of the pre-independence era and the first republic have been wiped off and in most cases taken over by housing estates.
YCE stated that grazing is no longer feasible because the cattle would destroy farmland and impoverish the people.
While reading the nine-point communiqué signed by the new President, Justice Ademola Bakre; Chairmen from Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun and Kwara States as well as Chairmen, UK and USA chapters, the Secretary-General of the group, Dr. Kunle Olajide, lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for suspending the RUGA project, urging him to do more to restore the dwindling confidence of Nigerians in his administration.
The group in the communiqué insisted that what the country needs now is true federalism, noting that the President must without delay revisit the 2014 National Conference report and the El-Rufai committee report on devolution of power.
The communiqué read, “The Council notes the palpable tension in the country arising from the frightening state of insecurity which has now gravitated from the North East and is gradually enveloping the six zones of the country. Tragic stories of kidnapping for ransom, murder, herdsmen/farmers clashes adorn the media virtually everyday.
“The unfortunate introduction of RUGA after the failed attempt to establish cattle colonies has heightened mutual suspicion amongst the ethnic groups because of what some Nigerians suspect could be sinister plans to hijack peoples land and establish militia of occupation in all parts of the country.
“The YCE believes Mr. President can heal the gaping wounds in the polity by reassuring Nigerians with his actions walking the talk on his preachment for unity. Politics and 2023 Presidency should be put at bay now. We are in a state of emergency; all hands must be on deck to lower the political temperature of the country.”
On the daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, Mrs. Funke Olakunrinwho was murdered along Ore road by suspected herders, the elders called on governors of the Yoruba States, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi and Ondo to deploy technology to monitor our forests and flush out criminals masquerading as herdsmen from our forests”.
The new president, Justice Bakre, in his acceptance speech, said he was ashamed that people who are called elders were doing wrong things, noting that he, as the leader of the council, would not go cap in hands begging the governors for any largesse.