We’ll Reclaim Encroached Lands to Address Farmers/Herders Clashes, Says Gombe Governor
Segun Awofadeji in Gombe
Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has said that his administration will leave no stone unturned to ensure all encroached cattle routes, grazing, game and forest reserves in the state are reclaimed.
The governor made this known yesterday when he inaugurated a committee to assess cattle routes, grazing, game and forest reserves in Gombe State at the Government House.
Governor Yahaya, who attributed the current security challenges and recurrent farmers/herders clashes to years of long negligence, noted that for a lasting peace in Nigeria, strict measures must be put in place to revive the hitherto cattle routes, grazing and forest reserves in the country.
He said the trend posed great dangers to citizens’ means of livelihood and environment.
“The encroachment upon these lands has posed serious threats to their existence, threatening ecological balance and the livelihoods of both farmers and herders.”
The governor said to proffer a lasting solution, the root causes of the problems must be addressed.
“In northern Nigeria today, deforestation and encroaching desertification are driving nomadic communities inwards, thus bringing them into conflict with farming communities, and jeopardising centuries of inter-communal harmony and stability.
“To address those security challenges, we must first address their root causes which is environmental degradation that is fuelled by climate change and lack of compliance with extant rules and regulations across all divides.”
The governor said his administration will do everything within its powers to revoke any illegal allocation made on cattle routes, grazing or forest reserves to foster environmental sanity.
“This committee is necessary in order to reverse the ugly trend, restore our ecological balance, and promote environmental and livelihood sustainability,” he said.
In his vote of thanks, chairman of the committee, AIG Zubairu Muazu (rtd) appreciated the governor for the opportunity, assuring that they will work round the clock to deliver on the mandate.
AIG Muazu added that the committee will never fail the governor and people of the state.
The committee is made up of security experts, environmentalists, livestock development specialists, agriculturalists, professional surveyors, community leaders, representatives of socio-cultural groups, representatives of security agencies, among others.
