APPARENTLY
disturbed by the negative reactions of some groups after the establishment of
the anti-grazing law in Benue State, the lawmakers from the state on Friday
asked President Muhammadu Buhari to support the law to save the citizens
from
the menace of herders.
The
lawmakers also sent a warning signal that if the members of Miyetti Allah group
were not called to order, Benue citizens may be forced to defend themselves
because they can’t be second class citizens in their own Father land.
Addressing a
press conference at the National Assembly, Spokesman of the Benue Reps caucus,
Rep John Dyegh in a statement entitled:
Why FG Must
Support Implementation Of Anti-Open Grazing Law In Benue state said:
“This press
conference is to sound a note of warning to those who have vowed to violate the
law and cause crisis in the state.
“It is also
to draw the attention of the Federal Government and make a passionate appeal to
the President and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari to
grant full support to the Government of the State by giving a standing order to
all security agencies to ensure maximum implementation of this wonderful piece
of legislation.
“You are not
unaware of the carnage and massive destruction visited on the peace-loving
people of Benue by heartless terrorists operating under the cover of Fulani
herdsmen for some years now.
“While this
lasted, economic activities in the state were almost grounded as people
abandoned their farms and businesses due to the ravaging activities of AK-47
bearing herdsmen, who constantly invaded their communities, destroyed farms,
property, maimed and killed indiscriminately.
Dyegh
continued, “the people of the state lived in constant fear of being attacked
thereby forcing surviving victims of these dastard acts to abandon their homes.
“Our people
are still living with the sordid memories of the massacre in virtually every
nook and cranny of the state, particularly in Buruku, Guma, Tarka, Logo, Agatu,
Gwer West and Gwer East etc. thousands of lives and property worth billions of
naira have been lost to these inhuman actions of these so called Fulani
herdsmen.
“Worried by
the continued desecration of our land and a clear agenda to exterminate our
people, the Benue State House of Assembly this year passed the Open Grazing
Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Bill, which was signed into law by the
Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom on May 22, 2017.
“Benue
people should not be treated as second class citizens or aliens in their own
country.
“We must
state here clearly and emphatically that the people of Benue have a long
standing history with the Fulani’s dating tp decades of peaceful co-existence.
“The
Fulani’s we know and lived with for decades bore only sticks, machetes and
perhaps Dane guns.
“They
mingled freely with us and exchanged banters, attended the same markets. But
the so called AK-47 carrying herdsmen we see today are not the Fulani’s we
know.
“We believe
they are foreigners perhaps from neighbouring West African countries. They are
a blood thirsty group of Fulani’s whose stock in trade is to maim, destroy and
terminate lives.
“The Federal
Government must therefore live up to her responsibility of protecting life and
property and support the full implementation of this law so that the largely
agrarian people of Benue can resume their farming activities and sleep with
their two eyes closed.
The
implementation of the law took effect on November 1, 2017.
After
reading his text, other members of the caucus gave a vivid account of the
travails of their constituents.
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