Lecturer Seeks Law Against Cattle Movement In Rivers

The Rivers State Government  has been called upon to make a law that would enable cattle grazers in the state confine their animals to check the incidence of destruction of crops and other valuables by hardsmen across the state.

A lecturer in the Department of Sociology, University of Port Harcourt Dr Steve Wordu who gave the task in an exclusive interview with our special correspondent on Monday in Port Harcourt said that any keen observer in Rivers State will notice that there are Fulani herdsmen all over the state encroaching on people’s farmland and destroying crops.

He explained that  there had been minor incidents where cattle rearers attacked some farmers at Rukpokwu and elesewhere over the distruction of their crops by these herdsmen.

“All over Rivers State, like Omoku, Ahoada, Abua, Mbiama and up to Etche, infact anywhere people farm, we have this menace.

“The first issue is that their cattle damage crops and we know that our people are predominantly farmers and when you damage people’s crops you reduce their productivity which threatens food security and price,” he said.

He expressed the fear that the development, if not checked, would add another dimension of conflict when farmers rise against the destruction of their crops and farmland.

“We know for sure that part of the clashes in Jos is as a result of cattle grazing when hardsmen use their cattle to encroach on people’s farmland and destroy their crops.

Though it has not become a major conflict issue, the University don expressed the opinion that the state government should address the problem on time to nip it in the bud because of its obvious escalation in the future.

Dr Wordu cautioned against the possibility of farmers and herdsmen clashing, that since our people were not violent and fierce as those herdsmen, it was expedient that the cattle be  confined.

“ I would suggest that the Rivers State government should restrict the movement of these herdsmen by way of legislation.

“There should be a law  stipulating that these cattle should be restricted or confined to certain places, and if possible the government can build a ranch or camp where all the cattle rearers can keep their cattle and go out to fetch fodder rather than using their cattle to encroach on peoples farmland.

“I forsee and I am very clear about it that if the problem is not handled, if the situation is not controlled now, there would be a time when the population of cattle rearers will increase and the encroachment on people’s farms and destruction of farms would increase and that would escalate into violence in future,” he warned.

So, to protect both agriculture and food security in the state, there  was the need according to him, to urgently curtail the grazing range of these Fulani cattle herdsmen across the state.