Minister Of Agriculture Audu Ogbeh Explains Why FG Can’t Stop Herdsmen

The minister of agriculture and rural
development, Audu Ogbeh has
revealed why the Federal Government
cannot stop herdsmen who are not
Nigerians.
Ogbeh said on Thursday, June 9,
2016, that the ECOWAS
Transhumance Protocol allows for
the free movement of citizens from
member countries.
The minister said this in Abuja, at
the Stakeholders’ Consultative
Forum on Grazing Reserves and
Stock Routes.
He also said “The Nigerian
constitution has given every citizen
the fundamental right to freedom
of movement in search of
legitimate businesses;
transhumance pastoralism is seen
along these lines.
“For pastoralists from
neighbouring West African
countries, access to grazing rights
in other countries in the ECOWAS
zone including Nigeria, are
guaranteed by the ECOWAS
Transhumance Protocol of 1998
and ECOWAS Protocol of Free
Movement of Goods and Persons in
West Africa.”
Ogbeh also said the grazing reserve
policy will reduce the frequent
clashes between herdsmen and
farmers.
He said “So it is not strange to see a
Malian, Burkinabe or Nigerien
pastoralist grazing his cows, sheep
or goats in Nigeria or a Nigerian
pastoralist grazing his livestock in
Benin, Togo or Ghana and by
extension, transhumance
pastoralists from other
neighbouring countries.”
Audu Ogbeh also revealed that 11
states donated a total of 55,000
hectares of land for Fulani
herdsmen to graze.