DETERMINED to reduce
clash between herdsmen and communities in the state, the Governor of Delta
State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa on Monday had a forum with stakeholders where
carrying of offensive weapons by herdsmen was frowned at.
Present at the forum
which had as it's theme, “Fostering Peaceful Co-existence Between Farmers, Host
Communities and Herdsmen in Delta State,” were representatives of traditional
rulers’ council, communities, Farmers, Local Government Council Chairmen,
Miyetti Allah, Miyetti Allah Kautu Hore, Cattle Dealers Association, Cattle
Breeders Association, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Moslem Leaders,
Civil Society Organisation, the Military, Police, Department of State Security
(DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as well as
Nigeria Imigration Service.
Governor Okowa while
declaring the event which took place at the Unity Hall, Government House,
Asaba, open, urged participants to speak freely about the way out of the
quagmire to ensure a peaceful state where the people co-exists and carry out
their business activities without fear.
According to him,
“issues of misunderstanding between the herdsmen and our communities have
become worrisome in recent times and we don’t want it to continue, Deltans are
hospitable people but, the would-be visitors to the state should know that they
should live in peace with the people.”
“The communities are
beginning to lose patience and I hope we will be able to speak frankly and in a
peaceful manner for us to proffer ways forward,” he added.
At the meeting, it was
resolved that security agents should be proactive and arrest anybody caught
with AK 47 rifle and prosecute such persons; and that security agencies should
be more vigilant at the Ohoro-Bomadi road to ensure that farmers and villagers
move about freely without being attacked by the herdsmen.
The State Commissioner
of Police, Mr Alkali Usman in his speech, called for tolerance, cooperation,
mutual respect and peaceful co-existence among the people and groups and the
local communities noting that “four groups of persons can be categorised as
herdsmen: cattle traders, cattle rearers, cattle breeders and the itinerant
cattle rustlers; the groups can be nomadic and or sedentary in nature.”
There was free flow of
information from the stakeholders as they bared their minds on likely suspects,
causes of the attacks, their pains and likely solutions.
Comments
Post a Comment