Fayose frees detained cows

After asking mem­bers of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breed­ers Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to sign a peace part, Governor Ayodele Fayose on Thursday re­leased nine cows arrested for contravening the state’s anti-grazing law to the group.

Fayose, however, stated that he released the cows to cement the relationship between the government, farmers and the Fulani herdsmen in the state, warn­ing that the 7am till 6pm grazing period stipulated in the law stands and that any­one who contravenes this will be dealt with.

Fayose said this on Thurs­day at a stakeholders’ meet­ing held in the Government House with the leadership of Miyetti Allah in Ekiti and the South West, traditional rulers and the Fulani com­munity

The Miyetti Allah prom­ised to co-exist peacefully with the farmers and resi­dents of the state.

The cows were seized a couple of weeks ago by the recently inaugurated Ekiti State Grazing Enforcement Marshal for contravening anti-grazing law.

Fayose said, “I have de­cided to release these cows to strengthen our union. So, I expect you to comply with the law because after now, if you contravene the law, we will take appropriate sanc­tions against you”.

The governor empow­ered the traditional rulers to enforce the grazing law in their domains and appor­tion lands to herdsmen to do their businesses under a controlled situation.

“You can’t because you are rearing cows be destroying our farmlands. Our people rely on these farms to sur­vive and the moment you are destroying them, then they will not be interested to go into farming and hunger will affect all of us”, he said.

Fayose threatened to deal with whoever harasses the cattle rearers while doing their legitimate businesses, urging the leadership of Miyetti Allah to always re­port directly to him any case of intimidation and oppres­sion against their members.

The South West Chair­man of Miyetti Allah, Alhaji Mohammed Abass, warned the government at all levels against politicising the crisis between his members and farmers in some states.

Abass, who said the cattle business is very profitable in the South West, added that government politicising the agriculture sector would de­stroy the business and this he said may have an adverse effect on the diversification process of the government.