NIGERIA: Grazing Rights for Herdsmen Divides Delegates

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Deliberations at the National Conference on the report of the committee on Citizens, Immigrations and Related Matters came to an abrupt end when delegates failed to agree on free grazing rights for the nomad herdsmen.
 
Surprisingly, another contentious issue of the inclussion language, religion and tribe to the data sourced during census exercise scaled through with an almost unanimous voice vote from the delegates.
 
Problem started when a resolution was reached that the nomads should enjoy full residency benefits like any other resident in a state.
 
Delegates from the south and middle-belt however rejected the caveat for free grazing rights for the herdsmen, insisting that their states of origin should fund the establishment of grazing reserves in their states of residency.
 
Majority of the delegates also voted in favour of the move to establish grazing reserves across the country. The committee had proposed that "grazing reserves or ranches and new technologies such as the hydroponic Fodder Solution should be promoted by governments of the affected stakeholders as well as the dedication of funds/efforts for the acculturation/acclimatisation of herdsmen in settling down to designated grazing reserves and less nomadic lifestyles".
 
However, a delegate moved an amendment to state that the provision and funding of the grazing reserves shall be the responsibility of the states of the herdsmen and not that of other states.
The response provoked protracted debate and even commotion among the delegates from the north, who were trying to convince the conference of the need to retain the recommendation for grazing reserves.
 
Contributing, Muhammed Bengadi suggested that all the herdsmen should enjoy all the benefits accruing to a resident in a state, stating that it will not be fair to allow the state of origin of the herdsmen to pay for their grazing fields in their states of residency.
 
Another delegate, Prof. Godwin Dara from Delta State said it was unfair that Nigeria should be talking of grazing rights in the 21st century when other countries like Argentina had turned grazing fields into ranches.
 
A delegate, Bashir Albasu countered that if the states of origins of the nomads or herdsmen should pay for their grazing reserves in their states of residency, taxi drivers from the South-west or bus owners from the South-east should pay for the roads they ply.
 
At this point, the conference Chairman, Justice Legbo Kutigi intervened in other to calm nerves. He urged the delegates not create a division at the conference because of the issue. He expressed surprise at the manner the debate was degenerating and appealed for caution.
 
"All the decisions we have taken have been very pragmatic. And we have not tried to spite anybody; it has been a national position. I think we should think well and behave like distinguished men, "he said.
 
The Deputy Chairman, Prof, Bolaji Akinyemi, who anchored the proceedings, ruled that the matter should not be put to vote.
 
He suggested that the matter should be stood down for another time so as to resolve it amicably after due consultations. 
 
“I am not going to put this to a vote. I am withdrawing it to be discussed on another day. Please do not provoke me I am a diplomat but do not provoke me. I have read the rules and I am keeping to it, I will not put it to votes," he said.
 
Earlier, the conference had considered the recommendations of the committee on credible national census. The delegates, while accepting the recommendations made by the committee, added that it should include the provision of language, tribe and religion in the census data.
 
Other recommendations by the committee are that census should remain in the exclusive legislative list, while the maintenance of the entire machinery for data collation should be included in the concurrent legislative list.
 
It also said that post census activity should include integrated national database of all settlements including cities, towns, villages, hamlets and farmsteads, registration of households, birth and deaths. 
However, a delegate introduced an amendment, which sought to include language, religion and tribe as part of census data, and the delegates through a voice vote approved it.
 
 
Another amendment that got the blessing of the delegates was on the issue of residency/settler dichotomy which all rejected a proposition to add a probationary period of 10 years for one to qualify.
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