- Nobody is against cattle rearing, say govs
- Recruitment of 10,000 personnel yearly inadequate, PSC insists
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, (MACBAN), has called for the establishment of Fulani Youth Vigilante body in South-east communities to assist its host community counterparts and other constituted security agencies in the zone.
This is coming as the Police Service Commission (PSC), has stated that the yearly recruitment of 10,000 policemen was inadequate to meet the demand for police personnel in the country.
The South-east governors have told the cattle breeders that nobody in the zone was against rearing of cattle but that there are rules of engagement in every relationship, including that of herders and farmers.
These stakeholders stated these Thursday during the South-east security summit organised by the South-east Chambers of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture, (SECCIMA), in collaboration with South-east Governors Forum (SEGF), in Enugu.
Speaking at the event, the National President of MACBAN, Alhaji Mohammadu Kirowa, regretted that once insecurity was mentioned in Nigeria, the first idea that comes into minds was Fulani herdsmen.
Kirowa, who was represented by the National Secretary of MACABAN, Alhaji Baba Usman Ngelzerma, noted that South-east was a good host to herders.
He said MACABAN and its patrons – the Sultan of Sokoto, the Emir of Kano and the Lamido of Adamawa, condemned all forms of violence and criminalities.
The group however said it wanted an establishment of Fulani Youth Vigilante group, stressing that “the Fulani Youth Vigilant body will be working with the security, the neighborhood watch or vigilante to ensure security in all communities, as it was done in Enugu State.
“We will solicit for your support and cooperation in adopting dialogue where problems exist as a means of brokering peace and to report cases against our members to either the Fulani Youth Vigilante Group, state or local branch of the association,” Kirowa said.
In his speech, the Chairman of the South East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. Dave Umahi who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, stated that the region cannot engage in policy of exclusion to limit any farmer or herder, but that rules of engagement should be observed in every relationship.
“We will continue to accommodate the Miyetti Allah but our plea to them is that as we are magnanimous to allow settlers, every community has a custom that need not to be violated. It is the violation that breeds problem.
“I believe that at the end, resolutions will generate further national dialogue, promote agenda setting and a solution to the lingering national insecurity. All we need is the good idea of one or two men to find direction and I believe this summit will do that,” he said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner in charge of Human Rights in the PSC, Mr. Rommy Mom, decried the inadequacy of the Nigeria Police personnel, noting that today Nigeria boasts of under 350, 000 police officers. “This translates to 1.6 police officers to every 100,000 Nigerian, which is a far cry from the world standard of 225 police officers to every 100,000 people. In some local governments, you have less than 10 police officers.
“Lack of data is a major challenge to the extent that even the Inspector general of Police is not very sure of the exact number of police officers under his command. Electronic data is very important,” Mon said.
He also stated that it was high time Nigeria embraced the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT), and other equipment for policing the country.
Source: THISDAY
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