THE Senate on Tuesday unanimously adopted Senator Henry Seriake Dickson’s position that the Federal Government should provide funds for the establishment of ranches across the country in collaboration with States, Local Government Areas, and businesses.
Sen Dickson, representing Bayelsa West, while contributing to the debate on perennial clashes between herders and farmers said: “Animal husbandry is a legitimate business. Maybe we should use the opportunity of this motion, because we deal with this everytime. We should use this opportunity to mandate the Committee, especially now that the President has established a ministry to deal with livestock issues.
“Let us mandate them to interact with the executive and come up with a proposal for nationwide ranching, as a legitimate business, the Federal Government has to intervene and provide funding because these herdsmen are actually victims of economic situation as well, carrying cattle from Sokoto State and trekking to Bayelsa, Lagos, and other States.
“The Senate Committee on National Security and the Senate Committee on Agriculture should interface with the executive arm, the newly established Ministry of Livestock and the Ministry of Agriculture and come up with a proposal for the Senate to look at the establishment of ranches, modern ranches that are commercially viable and safe both for the herders and also for the locals across the country.”
He said that these should be done with the States, local governments, and private businesses that want to invest in ranching.
Sen. Dickson’s belief in ranching as a solution to open grazing which is at the centre of the clashes between farmers and herdsmen dates back to his policy, 10 years ago, when as Governor of Bayelsa State, he suggested that the federal, state, local governments and businesses should invest in ranches where the herdsmen will keep their animals and operate their business.
He had said that the Central Bank of Nigeria should provide the finances as loans.
In Bayelsa, herdsmen and their animals were assigned a place in Bayelsa Palms where the police and civil defence provided security. There were water, an abattoir, veterinary services, cattle market, grasses for the animals. Bayelsa then announced stern measures against illegal bearing of weapons by anyone.
Sen Dickson had explained then that since the Constitution provided for freedom of movement of people and their goods and property, it would be illegal to ban herdsmen moving with their animals.
The Bayelsa policy has since become a state law.
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