From Muhammad Ahmad Saka, in Bauchi
The traditional ruler of Kaltungo Emirate in Gombe State, Nigeria, (Mai Kaltungo), Engineer Saleh Mohammed has advanced measures and steps taken by the State, Local Government and the Emirate that has yielded fruitful results in reducing violent clashes between herders and farmers in the state during harvest period.
The Mai Kaltungo said this when he interacted with reporters in his palace during this year’s harvest season.
He said all stakeholders involved received all the needed support from the State Governor and the Local Government Chairmen which helped to consolidate the peaceful coexistence between herdsmen and farmers.
He said: “under the arrangement, Fulani herdsmen used to come back to our area from south and far north central during harvest with their cows, and if they reached our area, they will not enter farms until when the farm owner finished harvesting his crops. Wherever the cows touched farm produce, the cattle rearers will pay, and the farmers too will not burn the grass in their farm. They will leave it to the herders livestock to eat”
He added: “If there is any problem, the farmers were not allowed to talk to the herders but to the Fulani leaders that are in the Prevention and Settlement Committee, who were the ones that will intervene and talk to the farmers so that the matter will be resolved amicably.”
He said the proactive measures taken by the committee such as community engagement programmes, conflict resolution workshops and regular dialogue sessions between the farming and herding communities helped a lot because these initiatives were designed to foster mutual understanding and cooperation, addressing grievances before they escalate into violent clashes.”
The monarch said that a stable and peaceful agricultural environment will not only benefit the local economy but also contribute to national food security. “By preventing conflicts and ensuring that both farmers and herders can operate without fear of violence.”
The Mai Kaltungo also said that the proactive approach serves as a model for conflict resolution and sustainable development, which has demonstrated how effective governance and community collaboration can lead to lasting peace and prosperity.
He said “our main challenges as of today is that “thieves are the people stealing farm produce in our farm which gave our farmers sleepless nights.”
The Monarch warned farmers not to sell their farm produce because it will bring untold hardship to them in the near future.
Speaking, the Kaltungo Local Government Chairman, Honourable Iliya Suleiman Jatau said he used to support and meet with members of the committee regularly which helped in eliminating any form of conflict between herdsmen and farmers as the rainy season commences.
Jatau said the committee is holding a series of meetings between leaders of various groups of farmers and herders, as well as other stakeholders in the agricultural sector, which is yielding the desired results because the steps taken solidified the peace between the two groups in the state.
The chairman assured of the state and local government’s commitment to fostering peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders, which is an important element for the state’s agricultural and economic growth.
He said he is hopeful that the local government may no longer experience farmers /herders clashes as the government builds on its success in maintaining peace between the two groups.
He reminded both parties of the need to be responsible and law-abiding, while going about their activities and assured them of the government’s continued support,
Jatau urged them to continue to always be guided by the laws provided to prevent unnecessary clashes, especially during this year’s harvest season.
He said that the government believed that peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders is essential for agricultural and other economic development.
The chairman said that Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s administration is committed to building on the prevailing peaceful coexistence among groups and communities in the state and the commitment is a crucial part of the state’s renewed efforts to prevent farmer-herder conflicts.
You would recall that in the previous years, conflicts arising from such infractions between herders and farmers usually resulted in huge casualties on both sides, raising tensions and serious economic consequences.
