Farmers Herders Crisis: Any traditional ruler, that give out communal land with out community consent should be prosecuted- Aroh
By: Ella Akpa
A former Commissioner for Agriculture in Edo State and former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdul Aroh, has suggested that any traditional ruler who gives out communal lands in any kingdom or chiefdom without involving the local people should be prosecuted and shamed.
Hon. Abdul Aroh stated that in order to overcome the issue of farmer-herder violence across many parts of the country, especially in the south, where traditional rulers often give out communal lands without notifying the indigenes of the community, resulting in attacks and counterattacks by both parties.
The former Edo State Agricultural Commissioner, who is from the Edo North senatorial district, on Tuesday, April 1, on AIT Kaakaki, was responding to the question of “how to stop killings by herdsmen while balancing defense and outright murder.”
Hon. Aroh opined that the destruction of crops by herders causes violence between farmers, the owners of the crops, stressing that there is no comfort for anyone in the wild and that those living in the forest should come out.
He condemned open grazing, noting that it is no longer acceptable anywhere in the world, urging relevant agencies, especially the National Assembly, to pass the anti-open grazing bill into law as quickly as possible.
Hon. Aroh also advised that herders should be engaged in ranching centers and that their children should be admitted into schools for better enlightenment and development.
