By Emeka Okafor
The Senator representing Borno South in the Senate and Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Ali Ndume, has rejected the ban on open grazing by governors of the Southern Nigeria.
Ndume, who faulted the decision of southern governors to ban open grazing of cattle, stated that open grazing was not responsible for the worsening insecurity in the southern part of the country.
NIGER DELTA TODAY (NDT) Online reported that Southern Governors Forum (SGF) had prohibited open grazing in the region during its meeting in Asaba, Delta State Capital, on Tuesday to checkmate herders-farmers clashes.
The lawmaker, who addressed journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, a day after the governors made the decision, noted that insecurity in the various regions were unique to their areas.
He said, “The governors are deviating from the matter. The problem is not about open grazing. The problem is security. Most of the insecurity problems confronting Nigeria is not in the bush.
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“We have four different types of security challenges. We have the insurgency in the North East, IPOB through the Eastern Security Network is creating insecurity in the South East, there is banditry in the North West.
“It is only in the North Central that we have issues of farmers-herders clashes. There is less problem in the South – West except for the clashes between the herdsmen and the farmers and the agitators for the Yoruba nation.
“Similarly, in the South – South, they are trying to instigate the avengers but so far the area is peaceful. The issue of insecurity is unique to each zone.”
The Borno lawmaker, however, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to prioritized the issue of security in the country.
Ndume hinted that for the country to win the war against the worsening security, the Federal Government must provide the military with adequate weapons and other latest technologies to go after enemies of the state.
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“That means even if they will stop paying us and use the money to tackle security. Is it not when you are secure that you talk of other things? It is not only the politicians but everybody.
“If you know that you cannot move out of your house and they say sacrifice your salary, won’t you do it? Many people are working from home, yet they are being paid. They should stop paying salaries and address the whole issue of insecurity. If you don’t have money, stop paying salaries and allowances and use the money to provide security.
“If you are borrowing money to provide infrastructure, why can’t we borrow money to protect our people?” Ndume said.
