By Loveday Imeah
The state of the nation today indicates that most Nigerians are grappling with enormous and complex challenges on all fronts. These arise from but not limited to the weight and impacts of domestic, regional, sub-regional, continental and global socio-cultural, economic, political, structural etc. policies and programmes which are being designed and promoted by various sovereign entities in order to gain and sustain their visibilities, supremacy and respectability on the technologically driven world stage.
Unfortunately in Nigeria, the herdsmen and their sponsors constitute not only increasing burden to peaceful and mutual co-existence, but have become veritable threat to conscious efforts aimed at ensuring sustainable agriculture, food production, food security and availability throughout the farming communities across the country.
All these are happening in the face of growing concerns as to how to effectively feed the teeming population of Nigerians amid the hydra-headed problems of food shortages (food insecurity), high and rising prices of stable food items in the markets, huge capital outlay required in agriculture business especially, from clearing, cultivation/planting and post-harvesting processes involving preservation and distribution of items with astronomical transportation costs across the country.
It is glaring that all palliative measures/initiatives adopted by various governments have not been able to address hunger in the land, as on many occasions, the food palliative items have ended in the web of greed and in the belly of official corruption rather than satisfying the yawning hunger and thirst that needed the items in the first instance.
Besides, herdsmen’s illicit activities together with the raw face of terrorism, banditry, violent crimes and criminality especially kidnapping, robberies, rape and abuses of women farmers, as well as the vandalisation of critical oil and gas pipeline infrastructure plus the attendant pollution and environmental degradation, continues to impede agriculture/food production in farming communities with wider adverse implications across the nation.
Intricately connected and tied to the above, are the issues relating to incessant dams and grid collapses, climate change with unprecedented floods, to the extent that reasonable farming activities become nearly impossible where farmers have experienced and suffered collateral damages – complete devastation of vast farmlands with crops, dislocation/displacement of persons and then another round of internally displaced persons in camps which one way or the other come under the onslaught of herdsmen and bandits and the cycle of suffering continues unabated.
In fact, government policies and programmes in support and promotion of agriculture especially the production of stable food items have been rudely interrupted and undermined; and most farming communities are absolutely impoverished as herdsmen see farmer’s toils and investments in farmlands planted with crops as grazing pastures for cows/cattle. What is disgusting is the manner in which these armed herdsmen invade, intimidate, threaten and even kill farmers who dare to protest the damage to or of crops on their farmlands.
The questions arise: Why do armed herdsmen with ferocity, brutality and impunity overrun and destroy farmlands without remorse in our nation?
Should Nigerian farming communities in this 21st century where technology, innovation and modernization drive businesses continue to condone the archaic methods and irresponsible activities of these notorious herdsmen?
Do we as a nation of decent and civilized people allow these herdsmen and their sponsors to continue and exacerbate hunger, poverty and deprivation in the land without considering the serious implications for national security, national unity and cohesion?
Whatever the answers to the above posers are, the bottom line is that no serious nation will allow her agricultural and food production policies and programmes as well as the farmers to be undermined and impoverished by the dangerous activities of armed herdsmen and their sponsors. This is because no serious, responsible, representative and accountable government will like the face of hunger, poverty, disease and deprivation in their land.
In the recent past, the attempts to deal with the challenge of herdsmen and the danger they posed to farming communities might have been treated with levity by relevant authorities. In fact, in most parts of Africa and indeed northern parts of Nigeria and now in Rivers State, the talks of herdsmen and their atrocities in farming communities leave sour grapes in the mouth. But, Rivers State must and should not be perceived and identified as exploitable resource target by herdsmen and their sponsors. These herdsmen in farming communities across the Rivers State must be stopped in order not to obliterate the source of livelihood of the people. Their activities are a menace and a national disgrace and a spade must be called a spade.
It is said, a stitch in time saves nine. Governments at all levels must rise up to contain this growing menace in farming communities across Rivers State. The federal government and the legislature must work together to ensure stringent laws and measures are adopted against herdsmen’s encroachment on farmlands. Above all, the herdsmen and their sponsors need objective re-orientation to refocus and appreciate the need for peaceful and mutual co-existence, as no one business should be the source of ruin, obstacle or distress to the other. Thus, the federal government under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should declare a state of emergency to discuss these sensitive issues and proffer adequate solutions to the menace.
It is absolutely frustrating that Rivers State and the Niger Delta as a whole appear to have been targeted for extinction by vicious individual and corporate persons from sundry quarters. For example, coastal communities, some of which are oil and gas bearing, experience and suffer untold pollution and environmental degradation to the extent that sea foods and natural delicacies native to the area have disappeared to oblivion. Similarly, farming communities, some of which are also oil and gas bearing experience and suffer like the coastal communities in addition to the forceful confiscation of farmlands for grazing of cows/cattle. There is a limit to which people could be pushed before they react one way or the other.
The governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Joseph Fubara has assured and declared without equivocation his intention, commitment and determination to create conductive business environment for all who do legitimate business in the state to thrive, prosper and succeed without fear or threat to their investments or property. There is need for all to reciprocate the gesture of the River State government by adhering to the laws of the land.
Therefore, all leaders of thoughts, traditional authorities, religious groups, security agencies, socio-cultural, non-governmental organizations including the herdsmen and their sponsors must work in synergy and close ranks in order to ensure harmony in the society. The challenges posed by herdsmen to farmers can be resolved with proper political will.
Certainly, finding lasting solutions to these problems will be in the interest of our common humanity, particularly to enhance our environment and the aspiration to build a resourceful, vibrant and resilient economy, social justice system and technological advancement where no individual or group is disadvantaged, deprived or suppressed by force of arms; and such, will be an enduring legacy and testament for not only the present generation but also for generations yet unborn.
•Imeah, JP, is a retired permanent secretary.
