Leader of pan socio-cultural groups in Benue State, a retired Comptroller of Prison, Chief Iorbee Ihagh, has called on President Bola Tinubu to halt the proposed creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development and create a Ministry of Farming instead.
Ihagh, who is the President General of Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide made the call on Friday while reacting to the proposed creation of the Ministry of Livestock and Development by the president.
The leader of the three socio-cultural groups, Mdzough U Tiv, Ochitoha’K Idoma and Omn’Igede in the state, said that creating the ministry of livestock is tantamount to an invitation to crisis in the country.
He lamented the insecurity in the country, part of it he said was created by armed herders’ attack on their host communities and warned that creating a ministry of livestock as proposed is replicating the RUGA settlement already condemned by a section of Nigeria.
He said, “You remember that the previous administration (regime) of Buhari came up with RUGA settlement that was rejected by Nigerians, to me President Tinubu is only trying to return the RUGA settlement but dressed it in livestock ministry.
“It’s not that we are profiling any ethnic group here, but it’s a well-known fact that since 2014, Nigerians have not experienced peace due to the activities of herdsmen.
“Prior to 2014, herdsmen and their host communities had been living in peace, even whenever there was a crisis, there used to be a conflict resolution mechanism to resolve such crisis.
“But what we have now is pure war against other ethnic groups, herders going about with AK 47, maiming, killing of innocent people and raping of women.
“Benue State in particular, I always get upset when people say it is conflict, this is not conflict but outright occupation of land and that is why we have been opposing all these RUGA settlements which the proposed ministry of livestock development tends to be.”
He rather advocated the creation of the Ministry of Farming which would arrest the food scarcity in the country and improve the security of farmers.
He advised the federal government to create ranching under the Ministry of Agriculture.
The ministry, according to him, should be saddled with the responsibility of promoting food and cash crops and embarking on research.
He argued that the existing Ministry of Agriculture is too large with various departments such as veterinary, agriculture, livestock, research and others.
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