A palm plantation farmer, Comrade Samuel Nwuzu Igbenoba aggrieved over the plan of the Federal Government of Nigeria to establish a grazing settlement in states across the country, Delta state inclusive has cried out to the Federal Government declaring that Delta state which has about 70percent of the populace as farmers does not have enough land to farm, talk less of providing such a large expanse of land needed for the Federal Government’s programme.
He made this declaration in a chat with newsmen at his office in Mbiri, Ika Northeast Local Government Area over the weekend. Nwuzu who decried the condition and state of farmers in the country maintained that the Federal Government is trying to make situation worse for farmers in the state by the introduction of RUGA, adding that farmers already lack the financial capability to function effectively yet the Federal Government is trying to take away the only thing they have which of course is not enough, stressing that farmers, most especially those in Delta state do not have enough land for farming.
The farmer noted that the only way out of the current herdsmen menace in the country particularly in Delta state is for all the monarchs in the state to come to a round table and take a decisive action adding that if that is not done, the herdsmen threat would not be put to rest; maintaining that only the unity of the traditional rulers can bring solution to the problem.
Comr. Igbenoba stated that beside the fact that the state does not have land for the so called herdsmen, he opined that living with the nomads could be a living hell due to their violent nature and way of life adding that when they were living in the bush our women and girls were not safe, not to more of when they will now be officially living with us. He maintained that life would be a living hell for our people, while subscribing that grazing settlements should only be established in the North where they come from. SEE: FULANI HERDSMEN ATTACK WOMAN ON HER FARM
The traditionalist said “The herdsmen and their cattle were in the habit of destroying people’s crops, saying they should not plunder people’s crop to feed their animals and still kill and maim us when we complain”, he stated.
Adding, he maintained that the grazing settlement is not the solution to the problem but would rather increase the problem as herdsmen would now have the full right to perpetrate their evil crimes. He wondered why up to this moment upon all the atrocities committed by these people, none of them have been prosecuted.
Comr. Nwuzu noted that there were a lot of intrigues surrounding the herdsmen that needs to be unraveled by those in authority while he said; he believes the herdsmen are not ghosts.