Commissioner for Special Duties in Osun State, Hon. Mudashiru Toogun on Tuesday said the state would rather settle disputes between farmers and herdsmen through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) instead of enacting anti-grazing law.
Toogun, who is the Chairman of Committee on Peaceful Co-existence between Fulani/Bororo and Crop Farmers in Osun State, made the disclosure during a media interaction with journalists at the Osun State NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel, Osogbo.
He noted that his committee had settled over 6000 cases between farmers and cattle rearers in the state through ADR.
Toogun said that the system has been effective because the Aregbesola led administration has been able to integrate the Fulani settlers into the society by making provision for necessary and basic needs of the herders.
“In the course of looking for ways in which the relative peace we enjoyed between farmers and herdsmen could be sustained, we discovered some important needs of the herders, which include water and education.
“The government had sunk over 13 boreholes in various Fulani communities and befitting schools for their children to access qualitative education.
“In addition to that, we are embarking on enumeration of cattle in the state for the purpose of linking strayed cows with their owners, which will make amicable settlement of issues of invasion of farms easier and proactive.
“There is no plan to enact anti-grazing law in Osun State, we are convinced that the adopted traditional way of settling disputes between farmers and herdsmen have been effective and potent”, Toogun stressed.
On State Police, Toogun stressed that the idea remains the solution to the menace of incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers across the country.
“In a situation where arrested herdsmen were set free by the police, citing “orders” from the above, such an action is dangerous and capable of frustrating any move to sustain peaceful co-existence.
“I believe Nigeria needs police institution that understands its terrain of operation better and operate in accordance with the custom of its environment.
“For me, State Police is the way to go if we are really serious about resolving this menace of incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers. More so when we are being confronted with very porous borders across the country.
“You will agree with me that even if we succeed in managing herdsmen who live among us, the itinerant herders pose a serious security challenge in our various communities if our borders remain as porous as they are “.
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