Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano has said that he was on top of the situation with regard to the rising tension in his country home of Aguleri between Fulani Cattle breeders and farmers in the community.
Obiano made the statement following an alarm raised by the Chairman of South East Miyetti cattle breeders, Albania Sadiq recently.
Sadiq had recently declared a 23-year-old cattle herder missing in the area.
He had claimed that apart from the herder missing, two of his cattle were also killed, adding that for the timely intervention of Police and the Department of State Security Service that an attack would have taken place in the community.
But, Obiano had in the heat of herdsmen attack in the country instituted a committee headed by the leader of Fulani community in the state as a way of forestalling any attack.
Following the formation of the committee, an agreement was instituted between the Fulani cattle breeders and the community that, if any cattle is killed, the community would pay and in return, the cattle breeders will pay for any crop destroyed by the cattles.
However, the chairman of of south east Miyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, noted that “the host community is not keeping to the agreement reached between the security, Anambra State government and the herdsmen.”
Speaking on the issue at a reception he organised in his country home, Aguleri, after he received a chieftaincy title of Ebubedike Aguleri from his community, Obiano said that as the Chief Security Officer of the state, his government had commenced latent actions to forestall any incident that might lead to mayhem or loss of lives.
He revealed that part of the measures included sensitising both the host communities and the Fulani herdsmen of the existing agreement that any party that destroyed either the lives or property of the other would pay and also be prosecuted, adding that the measure had prevented any form of clash between the duo in the recent past.
Obiano said: “On no account should herdsmen wielding AK-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons be allowed in the state.
“Anambra people are peace-loving people who welcome visitors seeking wealth opportunities in the state.”
The Governor, while warning that anyone who might want to take advantage of the people’s hospitality would be decisively dealt with, assured farmers in the affected communities of his administration’s commitment to put an end to the cattle invasion on their farmlands.
(NewsExpressNgr)