Jutha Gupah, Damaturu
The European Union (EU) in collaboration with the International Alert and Save the Children International (SACI) has organised a workshop for farmers and herders to end clashes in Yobe state.
The training of farmers and pastoralists from Gujba Council was an EU early recovery process for resilience capacity building.
Declaring the training workshop open, yesterday (Thursday), in Damaturu, International Alert’s Programme Manager, Williams Ubimago, disclosed that; “Today’s Multi-Stakeholders’ Dialogue is for farmers and herders in communities affected by violent clashes in Gujba Council,”
According to him, EU and development partners observed with dismay how farmers and herders continue to clash every end of year of crops’ harvesting period.
Besides, he added: “As peace building organisations, we are approached by some concerned stakeholders to facilitate discussions that will bring solutions to the incessant conflicts between farmers and herders in Gujba Local Government Area.”
He noted that at the end of this workshop, stakeholders, particularly the ones from the affected communities will get a ‘working document’ on how to end the perennial farmers/herders clashes.
He explained that the document will also spell out how to resolve the conflicts before they escalate into violence that claims life and property.
“We are to adopt other models to be implemented in other affected Councils in achieving the desired goal,” he said.
Other development partners in resolving farmers/herders clashes include the State’s Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Protection Sector Working Group, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the Local Government Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee.
While responding, the Gujba Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Haro Abubakar called on his members to be law-abiding.
He said that the State government and other stakeholders are to realise the roles of herders in the socioeconomic development of the country.
He, therefore, urged the Federal and State Governments to provide Rural Grazing Areas (RUGA) with secured cattle routes in each of the six geo-political zones.
He warned that the cattle routes should encroach farmlands to further trigger conflicts between farmers and herders.
Chairman of the Gujba Local Government Farmers Association also called for urgent government intervention against suspected trespassers on farmlands.
“Farmers had suffered enormous damages from herders’ attacks and flooding in 2022,” he lamented.
He stated that stating that government should ensure protective mechanism for farmers to harvest their crops,
He warned that failure to protect farmlands, the loss of crops to herders could be unbearable.
