Those that believe that Nigeria is a Country have justifiable reasons. The appellation came to the fore during the reign of former President Muhammadu Buhari when herdsmen were on rampage, ravaging people’s farms and crops without restraint. Those victims who raised a voice of dissent were hacked down. The herders were emboldened in their bloody campaign by the loud silence of the indolent government, which turned a blind eye to their atrocities because the then-President was their patron.
Nigerians now understand why the cows were given a premium over human beings: they are fellow citizens.
If you are in doubt, do a recap of the recent occurrence in the Senate where a bill to curtail the movement of cows just scaled through the First Reading.
Sponsored by Senator Titus Zam, representing Benue North-West, the bill seeks to institute ranching for cows as against open grazing.
The benefits of such legislation cannot be over-emphasised. Most significantly, it will resolve the age-long herders-farmers’ conflicts that have left tears and blood on its trail.
Strangely, and shockingly, otherwise enlightened senators from the North, particularly Mohammed Goje and Adamu Aliero, kicked against the bill, insisting that since the constitution allowed freedom of movement, the cows must not be curtailed.
That Aliero viewed cows as human beings via the section of the constitution he cited is laughable, coming from a former governor. Furthermore, his argument about cattle routes falls flat on its face because there are no routes that detour into people’s farms and crops neither does the constitution empower cows to destroy people’s means of livelihood.
The vehement opposition prompted the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to affirmatively declare that cows are not citizens of Nigeria as the senators implied.
The constitutional right to freedom of movement and association is meant for human beings, not cows. Those posturing to be fighting for the herders are insincere. They are ostensibly fighting for the Fulani herders but actually wasting the glory and destinies of the herders. They know the gains of ranching, as is done elsewhere across the globe. However, they want to dodge the cost implications at the expense of the country and the poor herders they have exploited for ages. That is why they raise the flag of human rights.
Nevertheless, this heated and emotional dissent was needless. People should know and accept that one’s right to freedom stops where another’s right begins.
I wonder what flows in the veins of some people; how they derive pleasure from profiting from the pain they inflict on others by allowing their cows to feed on other people’s sweat, bringing ruin and destitution to many of these farmers.
Open grazing has contributed to the escalation of banditry and the prevalent hunger and high cost of food in Nigeria. People now avoid the farms because it is either their efforts are eaten up by the ravenous cows or they return in body bags, as the herders would certainly butcher them if they raise a whimper against the destruction of their crops. This is most heartless; now is the time to say enough is enough.
The Senate is not a preserve of the Fulani but an assemblage of discerning men and women, who must look at this bill dispassionately and promptly pass it as they they did with the return of the old national anthem. It is only then that people would know whether Nigeria deserved hailing or not.
The truth is that herders had always enjoyed special status under the country’s successive queer governments. Whereas other private business owners, such as poultry farmers, spare parts sellers, etc., fund and mind their businesses, Nigeria always meddled in cow herding as if it is a national project.
It is preposterous to continue with this pernicious backward system. We must embrace technology like the rest of the world and any cattle breeder who cannot afford ranching should merge with others or quit the trade.
This is not the Stone Age; it is aberrant to have some people roaming freely in the forests, feasting not only on people’s farms but ravishing their wives and daughters, and even killing the farmers for daring to protest.
We have to commend some northerners that have adopted ranches; this is the best way to go instead of supporting the murderous herders. Anybody insisting on open grazing does not give a damn about the lives wasted lives and even the wasting lives of the herders.
The repercussions are unimaginable. Nigeria will become a mass grave of sorts if the various communities begin to retaliate or attack Fulani herders and their herds wherever and whenever they are seen.
Cattle-rearing is not the exclusive preserve of the Fulani anyway. There are Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa involved in the business too. It is blackmail to Fulanise cattle herding to kill this laudable bill.
There is no justifiable reason to allow some states in the North to ban and destroy the businesses of some people in their region and yet boldly go to other areas to destroy their businesses. Aliero and Goje should be aware of the havoc some northern states wreak on those in the entertainment industry, those in alcoholic businesses, etc. What then is the difference if some states ban cow herding in their areas? What makes them more Nigerian than others?
Truly, Nigerians have no right to prevent the Fulani from their choice of lifestyle. If they choose to live in the forests like wild animals, that is their business. However, what the Alieros and Gojes pretend not to understand is that the herders don’t have the right to occupy people’s farmlands by force. They don’t have the right to rape, kill and maim other people. More especially, the cows have absolutely no right to roam around unchecked and causing incalculable harm to people whether in the North or South. This constitutes a threat to the peace and unity of the country.
With ranching, the cows will have more value. With ranching, the herders would suffer less and their children could go to school. With ranching, the herders’ aggressive mentality shall be tamed and the society would become saner. With ranching, the herders would be closer to humanity instead of the wild that has made them wild to the point of wasting lives without conscience.
The new (old) national anthem sings about standing in brotherhood. Imagine standing in brotherhood with Alhaji cows!
Orlu State is here!
The National Assembly has embarked on a worthy cause. The move to creating one more state out of the South-East geo-political zone of the country is laudable.
This follows the introduction of a bill for the creation of Orlu State.
The bill was sponsored by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Imo State, in the House of Representatives.
The bill is currently set for a second reading, having passed the first reading.
Interestingly, Senator Osita Izunaso introduced a concurrent bill in the Senate.
According to the draft bill, the creation of Orlu State will alter the 1999 Constitution (as amended), increasing the number of states in the federation from 36 to 37.
It will go further to insert a new paragraph, which will include 28 local government areas proposed to be carved out from Imo, Abia, and Anambra States to make up the new state, with Orlu as its capital.
Ugochinyere rightly argues that only the South-East has five states in the current political configuration, whereas the other five zones have six and even seven states. Therefore, he appealed to his colleagues to support the bill.
There is no gainsaying the fact that this excellent bill is timely and sits at the heart of the South-East. It will go a long way in helping to assuage the smouldering anger of the people in the region, who are palpably marginalised. This is the root cause of the pro-Biafra agitation in the area.
However, it is time the Igbo got their act together. The bill is not perfect; nothing in life is. Regardless of the shortcomings, Ndigbo must overlook it and mobilise support across the national spectrum, in and outside the National Assembly and the political divides to ensure that this bill comes to fruition.
Ndigbo, this is your chance. The traditional crabby tendencies must be killed for once so that it shall not be said or heard that the Igbo killed their own dream.