Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State, has said open grazing is one of the many problems facing the country, and he believes the agelong practice of moving cattles around needs to stop.
Masari who made the statement while addressing newsmen in Katsina during an interaction, said the practice is “unIslamic” and therefore, is not beyond modification.
The position of the government is in sharp contrast with the presidency who in a recent statement through Garba Shehu, said banning herdsmen from moving around with their cattles won't solve issues of clashes with farmers. He said, like every other Nigerian, herders have the constitutional right to enjoy the freedoms within every one of our 36 states (and FCT) -regardless of the state of their birth or residence.
Masari however, believes the position of herdsmen on the matter, could change should there be provisions of necessary infrastructure for states to promote ranching of livestock rather than open grazing.
“This is something we have to do through development, provide necessary infrastructure that will make the herders not to move.
“The herders’ movement is essentially in search of two things: water and fodder. If we can provide these two items, why should they move?
“The roaming about, for us is un-Islamic and it is not the best. It is part of the problems we are having today. I don’t support that we should continue with open grazing,” Masari said.
On other matters in the front burner of national discourse, Masari said, “I support devolution totally. The Federal Government is trying. But the states need to have resources to implement what should have been implemented by the Federal Government.
‘’If today the states will support the police, the police system will go up. If the states withdraw their support to security agencies, they won’t be able to move from here to there.
“So, I absolutely support devolution. As a government of Katsina State, we should be allowed by the constitution to decide many things that are peculiar to us.”