24022021 - Banditry designed to 9 destroy Nigeria — GOVS

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34 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 :Vanguard News Open grazing: challenges (2) Cattle farming are private owned businesses, the responsibility for which should be borne by the owners and not the other way round. LAST WEEK, I commenced a discussion on the menace of criminal herdsmen who continue to pose major security challenges. Also, I discussed the attempt by the Nigerian government to placate the herders by the subtle suggestion of acquisition of massive lands all over Nigeria for grazing, a move which will no doubt create more chaos as it will engender the acquisition of private lands to satisfy the spatial requirement for grazing ranches. It is, however, important to note that the clashes brought about by open grazing is not limited to Nigeria. Similar clashes have occurred in other African countries. In examining the development across West Africa, the Cable, an online publication wrote as follows: Eighteen killed in Niger: In November 2016, eighteen people were killed in various clashes between herdsmen and farmers. The clash, which broke out near the village of Bangui along the country’s southern border with Nigeria, also left 20 others injured, the country’s officials had said. What happened? Livestock belonging to the herders were said to have invaded the field of one of the farmers, damaging crops. “The nomadic herders fought with a farmer, whom they wounded. He was taken to the medical centre and everything started from there,” Oumarou Mohamane, Bangui’s mayor, had told Reuters. In a reprisal attack, a group of farmers then attacked the camp, burning down houses numbering about 15. Ghana too…: Villages in the Kwahu east district of the eastern region of Ghana were thrown into mourning after clashes between herdsmen and some of their farmers left a reported number of 15 persons dead, including five Fulanis. Hundreds were also left stranded and displaced after fleeing their communities in the incident which occurred in November. The clashes, which were between residents of Dwibease and Hweehwe, and the herders, followed the death of an unidentified boy at Dwerebeafe. Solomon Aboagye, an indigene, was quoted by Ghana Web, an online platform, to have said: “In retaliation, three of the Fulanis were also killed at Aboyan. Two of the natives went to the farm and did not return. I asked some people to search for them and unfortunately, they found them dead.” It was also reported that the deaths occurred at night in the farms and the bodies spotted daytime. Bloodshed in Ivory Coast: Seventeen persons were confirmed dead and 39 others injured after a clash broke out between herdsmen and farmers in Bouna, north-east of Ivory Coast, in 2016. Among those injured in the clash, which There is no doubt that there is an urgent need by the Nigerian government to resolve the issue of open grazing once and for all spanned two days, were five of the security personnel deployed to quell the crisis. The attack was said to be just one out of many other violent clashes between the two parties “but none has been of this magnitude”. “On the night of March 23 to 24, the situation was particularly aggravated and it was at this time that 17 people died,” Vincent Toh Bi, one of the residents, had told AfricaNews. Indeed, some contend that clashes between herdsmen or cattle herders and farmers are as old as mankind itself as indicated by the biblical verse in the book of Exodus Chapter 22 verse 5 which enjoins anyone who allows his animal to stray and graze in the field of another to pay compensation to that other. What is, however, clear is that while mankind, inclusive of many African countries have developed policies aimed at reducing the conflict, Nigeria is yet to come up with any identifiable means of bringing about peaceful coexistence between farmers and herdsmen. Rethinking the incidence of open grazing: There is no doubt that there is an urgent need by the Nigerian government to resolve the issue of open grazing once and for all. One of the ways to deal with the matter is to encourage largescale farming by the cattle owners. The US has led the world in largescale farming, pioneering the use of intensive livestock rearing in hog farms, cattle sheds and sheep pens. There are now more than 50,000 facilities in the US classified as “concentrated animal feeding operations,” CAFOs, with another quarter of a million industrialscale facilities below that threshold. Around the world, developing countries in particular were quick to catch up. Intensive farming of livestock offers many advantages over traditional open ranges, not least in the economies of cost and scale, it provides more efficient healthcare for the herds and flocks, and ultimately cheaper food. According to the UN, globally CAFOs account for 72 per cent of poultry, 42 per cent of egg, and 55 per cent of pork production. Instead of the present itinerant method of grazing prominent in Nigeria, owners of cattle should acquire or lease land for the purpose of grazing. However rather than directly foot the bill for development of such large-scale farming, all that the government should do is to make loans available to cattle owners and other farmers. The Punch newspaper editorial was quite detailed in pointing that as the Federal Government did with the Anchor Borrowers Programme for rice, it should facilitate such loans for cattle farmers. Such loans would be used to buy land in their states of choice. In Brazil, government has grown to become a major player in the meat business and the country’s foreign trade secretariat states that from an income of $1.9m in 1994, beef export income of the country rose to $1.9bn in 2004, providing 360,000 direct jobs as the records show. What the country does is to aid the business by facilitating low-interest loans to farmers. In Spain, livestock farming is intensive, with animals living on farms and consuming fodder and this practice became further entrenched following the country’s admission into the European Union, which caused the country to change some of its agricultural practices. The country received significant economic assistance from the EU to modernise the sector, increase productivity and improve the quality of its products. In Argentina, the practice is not any different. Livestock farming as a form of agriculture is aimed with increased productivity and modernity at the base of its practice. The role of government differs slightly from country to country but it is poignant to note government’s intervention is limited to making available assistance in terms of roving loans at low interest rate and regulated policies and not for government to undertake financial burdens as being suggested in government quarters. In Botswana, the country’s beef and cattle farming has grown exponentially from a few hundred thousand cattle in 1950 to close to three million today. The growth is traceable to deliberate government’s policies which averted this kind of crisis currently rocking the middle belt and southern region with occasional flares in other parts of the country with mindless deaths and destructions in its wake. Conclusion: In conclusion, the dangers inherent in the government’s proposal are numerous to say the least. It is brazenly discriminatory and offensive to common sense, law and good judgement. How can a purely private business become the burden of a central government or constitute a menace to other private citizens? Cattle farming are private owned businesses, the responsibility for which should be borne by the owners and not the other way round. Examples suggested in the above listed countries of how their governments have handled potentially intractable issues can be imbibed here. Borrowing from all that, government in Nigeria should encourage herders to acquire lands and modernise their practice in conformity with global best practices. Concluded Makinde reopens Shasha market, lifts curfew By Adeola Badru IBADAN—GOVERNOR Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, yesterday, ordered the reopening of Shasha market. The order for reopening of the market was reached during a meeting with the two warring communities in Shasha, held at the Western Hall, Secretariat, Ibadan, weeks after it was shut down. The governor said: “Considering the economic situation and the peculiarities we have with us, I have heard what you said, and we will immediately reopen the Shasha market. They will bring a bulldozer to the market today. “When my brother Governors visited Seriki Shasha’s palace, while we were working around, I realised that both the people I saw at Seriki’s place and those I met at Baale’s place were not happy because they have been deprived of doing their job. “If you look at Oyo State, even By Ozioruva Aliu BENIN CITY—THE Enogie of Irue N’Owina, Iyekogba area of Oredo local government area, Chief Efemwenkiekie Eresoyen and the Catholic church are at loggerhead over allegation that St Paul Catholic Church, Benin City in connivance with some persons in his community acquired several plots of his ancestral land for their church’s expansion. In two letters by his counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi to the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church, Most Rev Augustine Akubeze and the Parish Priest of St Paul Catholic Church, Rev Fr. Nosakhare Omorogbe said the church acquired the said land in connivance with “some infamous young men in the village parading themselves as community development association (CDA) illegally purchased and took over our client’s community lands including our client’s own ancestral home which was utterly destroyed and bulldozed. The extent of the land wrongfully taken amounts to over thirty five plots on which your church has erected several structures even after been aware of the confirmation of the position of our client by an order of court vide a judgement delivered on the 23rd Day of June 2014 in suit number B/339/2009 in a case which lasted for about four years.” The letter claimed the church was still meeting with the people he when the COVID-19 was at its peak, I decided not to shut our market places because I know and also explained to the leadership of the country at the national level that in our state, we have people that the proceeds from what they get today will determine if they will eat tomorrow or not. “Since peace more or less returned to the market and the community, we have given the goahead that the market should be reopened. “I have also given instructions for some palliative works to be done. I have instructed that solar light be installed in the market any time of the day or night; we will see what is going on in the market.” Speaking on the existing curfew placed on the market, the governor said: “You can see the CP and the DIG; they are the ones maintaining the curfew. And if they tell me peace has returned to the community, the curfew will also be lifted. But security agencies will still dominate the area.” Edo community head, Catholic church bicker over land acquisition claimed misled the church into the crisis but that it was ready to amicably resolve the crisis but without people he claimed were masquerading as CDA which has been banned. But reacting to the incident, Chancellor, Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City, Very Rev Fr. Michael Oyanoafor denied the allegation saying the Church acquired the land from the elders of the community to build schools with a view to bringing development to the community. He said: “I do not think his case is tenable because St Paul's Catholic Church was given a land in that community to build a church and they did, that church has been there now for more than ten years, then the community said they don’t have school, they gave land by the church and a school was built nursery and primary school, they were to pay stipend but the church discovered that they could not pay, the church requested for more land to also build a secondary which is on-going and then decide to make education free for the community, the church employed teachers and paying them.” He said the Church requested to meet with Eresoyen and the community when he claimed to be the Enogie but that he failed to attend the meeting and that when the church requested that the meeting be held in the community, he also declined, an indication that he was not in charge of his community. Esso Properties launches 2 estates in Anambra A LEADING real estate companies, Esso Properties Ltd has launched two estates: Berry Prime Estate and Sunray Estate in Anambra State. The event started with a roadshow, with the company’s canvassers and the Head, Corporate Communications, Miss Blessing Ugbem touring the state. Briefing journalists at the unveiling of Sunray Estate in Amansea, Awka, the marketing manager of Esso Properties Limited, Mr Humphrey Odie said the company was attracted by the huge development potentials of Anambra State. Odie said, “Anambra is a very attractive state in the South East. We are actually launching two estates in the state, Sunray Estate in Amansea, Awka and Berry Prime Estate in Agu-Awka, both in Anambra State. “Our coming to Anambra is because of its potentials, Anambra is a state you cannot ignore in terms of investment. We are in Anambra to give the people affordable accommodation, and that is what we are here to do.”
Continues from Page 5 concessionaires who will manage and develop the right of way, whilst maximizing its commercial potential. Main objective “The main objective of the Initiative is to attract expertise and sustainable investment/ funding in the development of road infrastructure and to maximize the use of assets along the Right of Way and develop other highway furniture,” the ministry pointed out. The government, according to the document will soon call for bidders in a transparent process that would be conducted in collaboration with the ICRC. It said: “The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, in collaboration with the ICRC, will soon advertise the Request for Qualification (RFQ) bidding process for the available categories under the HDMI scheme. “The process will be transparent to allow the most effective bids to compete vigorously in a process that delivers service and dividend to Nigerians. (technically and financially capable firms/consortiums). “We are determined to ensure our assets are entrusted into capable hands. Therefore, interested persons, companies and groups are advised to form consortium of construction/road maintenance companies, financiers, toll operators, rest house operators, advertising companies, lane marking experts, refuse managers and other partners.” Some of the revenuegenerating assets and highway services being targeted by the ministry are toll plazas, weighbridges, advertising assets, directional signage structures and space, street lighting with advertising space and open spaces, including but not limited to truck parks and rest areas, By Elizabeth Adegbesan vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews FG plans tolling on 12 highways refuse management, towing services, highway monitoring and emergency services. The ministry made it clear that it was carrying out the new initiative since it had a legal framework under the Federal Highway Act, which vests the Minister of Works and Housing with authority over federal highways’ network and empowers him to administer tolls on federal highways. Besides, the ministry said the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC,wass mandated by law with regulatory oversight over Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, in developing bankable PPP projects, pointing out that the ICRC worked closely with it in the conception of the initiative. “The ICRC has just issued a Certificate of Compliance to the Ministry of Works and Housing. What this means is that the ministry has met all the conditions necessary to proceed to the next stage of procurement of the HDMI scheme. “So, we are about to kick-off with the pilot phase of the HDMI scheme. In the first phase, the government is proposing the concession of 12 selected federal highways to private sector investors, under the Value-Added Concession, VAC arrangement.” Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021—35 NEWS HOTLINES 018773962, 08052867058 ON CRYPTOCURRENCY —From left: Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Prof Bolshoi Owasanoye; Executive commissioner, Legal and Enforcement, Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr Reginald Karawusa; Director General, SEC, Mr Lamido Yuguda and CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, during the Public Hearing to investigate reason for the scrapping of Cryptocurrency in Nigeria at the National Assembly, yesterday. STATE OF THE NATION: How to save Nigeria — Utomi, NaÁbba, Bugaje, Ozekhome, Awolowo-Dosunmu, others By Clifford Ndujihe, Politics Editor A group of eminent Nigerians, yesterday, looked at the state of nation and returned a grim verdict: Nigeria is at the precipice of disaster and all hands must be on deck to save her. The solutions to the critical problems of the world’s largest black nation, they said include fashioning and implementing a people’s constitution, enjoining elite consensus, getting professional bodies to hold their members accountable for their misdeeds, observing rule of law, and ensuring justice, equity and fair-play in the country. Eminent Nigerians, who shared this view include former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’Abba; former presidential candidate, Professor Pat Utomi; Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN; Rev. Fr. George Ehusani; Dr Tokunbo Awolowo- Dosunmu; and Dr Usman Bugaje. They spoke, yesterday, during the inauguration of the Constitution Drafting Committee and Coordinating Committee of the People’s Constitutional Dialogue initiated by the National Consultative Front, NCFront to rescue Nigeria from the precipice Naira appreciates to N408.60/$ in I&E window The naira yesterday appreciated to N408.60 kobo per dollar in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window. Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate for the window fell to N408.60 kobo per dollar from N410 per dollar on Monday, indicating N1.40 kobo appreciation for the naira. The volume of dollars (turnover) traded in the window yesterday rose by 135 percent to $123.37 million from $52.58 million on Monday. and brink of nationwide insecurity, ethnic and civil anarchy. The ceremony, which held both physically and virtually in the light of the second wave of COVID- 19 pandemic ravaging the world was flagged off by NCFront Co Chairpersons, Hon Ghali Umar Na’aba and Prof Pat Utomi, who charged the Committee to work assiduously to make the Draft People’s Constitution of Nigeria available by December 2021. Members of the coordinating committee of the National Constitutional Dialogue are Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Reverand Father George Ehusani, Alhaji Buba Galadima, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo Dosunmu, Hadjia Najatu Mohammed, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, Amb Mrs Nkoyo Toyo, Senator Chris Anyanwu, Dr Usman Bugaje, Senator Mike Ajegbo, Femi Falana (SAN), Rev. Chris Nubia, Dr Bilikisu Magoro, Prof Ademola Abbas, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and Sidi Ali Nasser. The committee would be supported by Prof. Isawa Elaigwu, Prof Attahiru Jega, and Ambassador Martins Ohomoibi as advisors; and draw from the elderly experience of Professor Wole Soyinka, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, Professor Ango Abdullahu, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, Professor Ben Nwabueze and Chief Olu Falae among others. National Constitutional Consultation will open on May 1, 2021, Utomi and Na’Abba said, disclosing that the structure of the committee is broken into four categories. The Cochairs, Dr Olisa, Agbakoba (SAN), Dr Usman Bugaje, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo- Dosumu, and Rev Fr. (Dr) George Ehusani, with Agbakoba. Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed is secretary of the coordinating committee. The NCFront said the objectives and terms of reference of the committee shall be to ‘’engage all key Stakeholders within the Nigerian project nationwide, facilitate robust national consultations and dialogue among them, Collate Memoranda and build consensus among Nigerian Stakeholders on various Nigerian national questions such as and not limited to; Proper and Acceptable federating units for Nigeria, Devolution of constitutional powers, appropriate governance system and structures for Nigeria, Citizenship, Indigenes - Settlers (Farmers - Herders) matters, Independent State Institutions & Commissions, Justiceable rights of Citizens, Framework for State Constitutions, Policing, Military Operations, Democracy and Guidelines for Political Parties, Tenure of office, Judicial Reforms & Access to Justice in Nigeria, Parliamentary Reforms & Principle of P r o p o r t i o n a l Representations in Nigeria, Civil Service Reforms, Youth and Women empowerments, Self determination Principles, Referendum/Plebiscite, among others that may be duly proposed by Nigerian stakeholders in the process of the National consultation. “This intervention has become imperative for us in the NCFront, as Citizens of Conscience, as it’s now quite clear that the Nigerian Government and ruling political leadership in Nigeria have lost the legitimacy and capacity to foster national harmony and political stability for the country and it will be formally be open to delegates and the Nigerian stakeholders on May 1st 2021.” Our moves to save Nigeria – Utomi Stressing the need to save the country, Utomi said: “Beginning next week the NCF will collaborate with the New Fabian Society of the Concerned Professionals and select media organizations to host Town Hall discussions on why Nigeria is sliding backward and how to save and rebuild it. “The first in the series will seek to hold professional bodies like The Bar Association, ICAN, ANAN, etc accountable for the conduct of their members in public life. The Bar Association can sure not escape blame and must call their members in public life to order if the judiciary, Attorneys-General and Elections Lawyers are the ones messing up our democracy. “We can challenge ICAN and Accountants on the corruption and transparency challenges in government. We can say the same for Bankers and abuse of state finances. So our Town Hall meetings will bring together experts, ordinary people and categories of stakeholders in conditions of frank talk.” We’re in unusual times – Ehusani Supporting the move, Ehusani said: “These are unusual times. Unusual times call for unusual measures, and sometimes from unusual quarters. I am happy to be part of the team to fashion measures to save our country. We can’t continue with what Britain gave us. We need to continuously review the basis of our staying together.” Lack of elite consensus, cause of our problems – Bugaje Also speaking, Bugaje said with elite consensus all of Nigeria’s nagging problems are surmountable. “We can resolve all the problems of Nigeria if we are determined. Absence of elite consensus is the major problem. The elites are pulling in different directions. Once we agree to pool resources together and work for the benefit of all instead of individuals, we will start making progress,” he said. We’re running out of time, says Awolowo- Dosunmu In like manner, Dr Awolowo-Dosunmu stressed the need for urgent measures to save Nigeria,saying: “We are very close to the brink. We are running out of time for peaceful resolution of the problems. We can this from what is happening all over the country. I pray that this initiative will succeed.” We need political will to save Nigeria – Ozekhome To Chief Ozekhome, pretence and lack of political will on the part of leaders are the stumbling blocks to rescuing Nigeria. ‘’There is need to save Nigeria from the brink of the precipice. Some people are pretending that all is well but we know that all is not well. That a sore is not bleeding does not mean it has healed.” Wondering how far the NCFront move would go, Ozekhome recalled past efforts via the PRONACO conference of 2005, and the 2014 conference, which leaders elected to throw into the archive despite the over 600 resolutions and recommendations that would have saved Nigeria if implemented. “My worry is what has changed? What is our new narrative? The 1999 Constitution is a fraudulent document. While we are working for Nigeria, some don’t believe in Nigeria. These are my worries so that we don’t engage in a fruitless journey,” he said.
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24022021 - Banditry designed to 9 destroy Nigeria — GOVS

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