Fayose Bans Grazing in Ekiti, Declares War on Killer Herdsmen

• Ekiti workers may begin industrial action, defy resumption directive

Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, monday declared war on the rampaging Fulani herdsmen by placing ban on free grazing in Ekiti while also ordering the security agencies and local hunters to gun down herdsmen seen terrorising the people.

Fayose said this in Oke-Ako in Ikole Ekiti during a visit to the beleaguered town where two persons were reportedly killed by suspected herdsmen on Saturday.

The governor, who stormed the town in convoy of about 30 vehicles, was escorted by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Etop James, the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Andrew Iorkay and Commander of the Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. John Ikemefuna.

Due to the lethal attack, the town still seemed deserted why soldiers, anti-riot policemen and men of the NSCDC were seen in strategic places in the town to ward off further attacks.

Fayose donated a hilux van and the sum of N5 million to the local vigilante group operating under the auspices of Association of Ekiti Hunters to be able to defend the town while also donating a sum of N2.5 million to the families of the deceased.
The governor, who said a bill criminalising grazing would soon be passed into law in the state House of Assembly, also ordered that communities should henceforth confiscate cattle found on sight.

He said henceforth, those interested in cattle farming should get their own private cattle ranch.
He warned that government would henceforth confiscate any cattle seen anywhere in the state apart from ranch created for them by their owners.

He described the Fulani herdsmen that attacked Oke-Ako and other communities in the country as Boko Haram members making tacticalintrution into the South-west.

Meanwhile, 72 hours after the suspension of the nationwide strike, the entire workforce of the state might tomorrow begin another strike over deduction in the December, 2015 salary.

However, most civil servants yesterday failed to resume work despite directive by the National Secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to that effect.

When journalists monitored the workers’ resumption reports that only a few workers reported for work as most offices remained desolate as at 10a.m.

The Chairman Nigerian Labour Congress, Ade Adesanmi, said the labour movement in the state would meet today to take the next line of action after the 24 hours ultimatum issued to Governor
Fayose last Tuesday had lapsed. He said the movement would have begun the strike last week, but the action was suspended because of the nationwide strike.

Adesanmi, his counterpart in TUC, Mr. Odunayo Adesoye, as well as the Secretary, Joint Negotiation Committee, Mr. Oladele Blessing had last week jointly signed a statement asking the state government to pay the outstanding to their members.
The state government is currently owing workers five months salary, as well as December deductions payable to cooperatives.