Incessant
clashes between farmers and herdsmen
have been identified as a threat to food security and economic
prosperity of the nation.
This was
disclosed during a one-day workshop organised by Cleen Foundation, in
association with a Canadian organisation at Mbalano, in Isukwuato Local Government
Area of Abia State.
The workshop, which was organised on how to foster peace, friendship and
understanding among farmers, villagers and herdsmen in all parts of the state
gave participants the opportunity to bare their minds on what they think should
be done to find a lasting solution between herdsmen and their host communities.
The programme
officer of the Foundation, Mr. Ifeanyi
Anyanwu urged participants not to see the conflict from tribal or religious
perspective.
He said if the
relationship between the herdsmen and their host communities were harnessed,
they could help in exposing nefarious activities of some evil-minded people,
like kidnappers and ritual killers.
“We want them
to understand that when you kill a cow out of anger, you are committing a
crime. We want them to work together to promote peace and also to help us to
come out of this recession. You can imagine farmers not going to farm because
of herdsmen and herdsmen not rearing their cows because of farmers, you can see
that it would even bring us down the more,” Anyanwu wondered.
He, however,
suggested that in the event that it is established that a herdsman destroys a
farmer’s crops, he should be made to pay
compensation to the affected farmer. He stresed that the host
communities
should also communicate the norms of their land to strangers to achieve a
lasting peace. Some farmers present lamented that the herdsmen were violent and
in some instance, raped their women.
In her
narration, Mrs. Chinasa Egu, the chairman of Isukwuato Market Women
Association, regretted that the farmers/herdsmen conflict had negatively
affected traders in her area as they bow have little to buy from farmers for
sale. She, however ,thanked Cleen Foundation for trying to end the problem in
the country.
The event was
declared open by the Transitional Chairman of Isukwuato Local Government of
Abia State, Navy Captain Chris Osondu, representative of Nigerian Police Force,
Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, traditional rulers, women and youth leaders,
journalists and members drawn from various
communities in Isukwuato.
But at the
time of filing this report, herdsmen or their representatives were still being
awaited at the venue, to give their own side of the story as well as benefit
from the workshop.
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