Open grazing ruckus

Editorial

For years now, the Nigerian public space has been clogged with discourse on management of cattle and cattle business. The time that could have been devoted to the country’s progress is used to discuss animal husbandry – whether to remain hooked on the age-old, even if anachronistic movement of the animals by foot across the country, despite the inherent dangers to the herders and the cattle. What has brought the matter to the fore in recent times is the constant conflict between crop farmers and herders, and its contribution to the heat in the polity.

Put simply, the debate is whether the cattle should be made to roam the forests and sometimes wander through the cities, or ranched as is now the practice not only in advanced countries of the West and East, but also poorer countries in Southern and Northern Africa? While those predominantly involved in the business appear to be unwilling to embrace the modern practice, farmers, especially in the South and Middle Belt, are arguing that the time has come to ranch the animals.

It is obvious that ranching is not only logical in this age and time; it comes with a lot of advantages. The animals’ health is protected. They yield more in milk and beef, which makes the business more profitable. The state equally is able to introduce tax and rates for services that would be rendered, such as provision of potable water, veterinary attention and even rent of accommodation that might be provided. Above all, both the pastoralists and crop farmers are kept in their spaces, with neither standing in the way of the other.

This is perhaps the greatest advantage as security of lives and property is guaranteed and the march towards food security becomes inexorable. In a world where many countries have been hit by drought and people rely on humanitarian supply of food, given the Nigerian population, we cannot afford to become a burden to the world for food. It is bad enough that the pervading insecurity in the land has brought about humanitarian crisis, as internally displaced persons’ camps are filled to the brim with more than two million of our compatriots forced out of their homes and lands where they engaged in subsistence farming for a living and now depend on government for hand-outs. The attendant health, education and food crisis in the camps have weighed down the Federal Government. If the trend of scaring farmers out of their farms continues, hunger, squalor, poverty and diseases would have taken over much of the country and no one would be in position to handle the anger and its implications.

We are particularly appalled by the opinion expressed by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, on the resolution of the Southern states’ governors who called for an outright ban on open grazing to save the country from these dire consequences.

It is unfortunate that the chief law officer of the country could equate the freedom of movement enshrined in the constitution with the freedom of animals to roam from one state of the country. We contend that no law is absolute, the freedom of movement, even for human beings is not absolute; it is subject to laws made by the federal and state governments. People suspected of committing crimes, for example, could be detained for periods specified by law until they are arraigned in courts. Similarly, to check the spread of diseases, the Quarantine Law could impose a lockdown. Curfews are sometimes imposed even all-day long when deemed necessary in the interest of all.

How then could it be said that states have no right to impose laws in a bid to control movement of cattle? The governors did not state that cattle could not move from the North to the South. The same resolution is binding on movement of cattle across states in the South, say from Akwa Ibom to Lagos. The rule is that they could be ferried by vehicles, not by foot, because thereby, farms would not come within harm’s way, thus engendering the spilling of blood that has become common place in recent times.

Plans by the President to reopen the grazing routes and override governors’ ban of open grazing will only further exacerbate the crisis. It is already pitching the North against the South, whereas many governors of the Northern states and socio-cultural groups in the region have endorsed the ban on open grazing. The Federal Government should rescind its pronouncement on this matter and embark on dialogue on this and other issues affecting the health of the country. As the Southern governors stated in their communiqué, whether through the back or front channel, the President should engage representatives of the various parts of the country on matters of national importance.

The President and his men should accept the reality of Nigeria as a federation. Prior to independence, constitutional conferences were held where the terms of relationship between the centre and the component parts were negotiated. The people opted for a Federal Republic, not a unitary system. The various parts need relative autonomy to allow for divergence and unity in diversity. Unless this is respected, and the federating units are allowed to take decisions that suit them without prejudice to the powers of the centre, there would be no solution to the current crisis in the land.

The open grazing conundrum must be resolved now if the country is to know peace in the march towards another general elections in 2023.