By Alfred M Akwe
The Middle Belt Forum, a socio political group of Central Nigeria, has called on the President of the federal republic of Nigeria, Senator Ahmed Tinubu to reverse itself on the creation of Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.
The Forum also called on the President to also abolish the Presidential Committee on the implementation of livestock reforms co- chaired by Professor Attahiru Jega.
A Statement issued in out to media men and signed by the National President of the Forum in Dr Bitrus Pogu, says the establishment of the Ministry and subsequent constitution of Livestock reform committee took the entire Middle Belt by surprised.
The Forum in the statement further said: “To start with, the MBF finds the establishment of the Ministry dedicated to livestock development whilst the expressed justification for it is the death of thousands of Middle belters and other Nigerians, the displacement of millions of Middle belters turned into internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their country, far removed from their ancestral homes that they cannot access because of the activities of fulani herdsmen many of whom have established to non-Nigerians has not been attended to nor in any way resolved.”
They further argued that the establishment of the new Ministry is irreconcilable with the comatose state of Nigeria’s agriculture, which they said has been unable to respond to the needs of Nigerians.
“The Middle Belt Form notes that embedded in the policy statement justifying the establishment of the new ministry is that the ministry would address what the government mischaracterises as “farmer-herder classhes but in reality is a land grab agenda by the marauding armed Fulani seeking to turn Nigeria into an enclave for resettling Fulani from the entire West Africa sub-region and Central Africa.
According to the Middle Belt Forum: “We do not believe that the advocates of the new ministry have national interest at heart, they appear to represent a vicious special interests.
The explained in the statement that such interest is reflected on the composition of the 25 member committee on livestock reform which has 14 members representing the fulani interest.
“The co chairman, who is the de facto chairman of the committee is Professor Attahiru Jega, a Fulani Professor of Political Science and has no background in animal husbandry , making only his qualification for the appointment purely his ethnic affiliation which is Fulani.”
They further argue that ” It is worrisome that the ethnic complexion of the committee is yet another of the many false starts of government in dealing with the mischaracterised Farmers /Herders Clashes which has led to untold suffering in the Middle Belt.
The Forum is therefore calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to without further delay disband the Federal Ministry, Livestock Development and the Committee on livestock reform and instead direct the relevant agencies: NEMA, NPC and the Army to resettle all internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their ancestral homes within the next one year.
They said in the light of their submission , President Tinubu should visit the various IDP Camps in the region and speak words of comfort.