Nobody Roams Cattle in 21st Century -Oluwo Tackles FG On Grazing Policy

MICHAEL AKINOLA

The Oluwo of Iwoland, Osun State, HIM Oba AbdulRasheed Adewale Akanbi has said that field grazing and cattle roaming is barbaric and should be abolished at once as it does not conform to modernisation and 21^st century development of any country.

Oba Akanbi stated this during a meeting with stakeholders at his palace focusing on solutions to herdsmen incessant attacks on innocent Nigerians.

The monarch said no government that wants to move forward will encourage grazing and that there’s no place in the world where government acquires land on behalf of herdsmen for the purpose of cattle grazing.

“The herdsmen got it wrong due to lack of education towards animal farming in the 21^stcentury. The alternative to grazing is pen with sufficient hay storage. This will help restrict the cows to the confines of the pen- which is a controlled area. That is how it is done in advanced country. You can never see herdsmen grazing cattle in Europe,” Oluwo said.

He added that the herdsmen can either rent, lease or buy lands for pen/byre construction to house their cattle and that it is at the farmer’s or land owner’s discretion to sell to them.

“The herdsmen can even purchase hays to feed the cows from the farmers thereby establishing and sustaining a peaceful affinity with farmers across Nigeria,” he added.

Oba Akanbi however advised the federal government that the solution to Fulani herdsmen/farmers recurring clash is proper orientation and education on modernized animal farming and not acquiring hectares of land on behalf of herdsmen as grazing zone across the federation.