Grazing Reserve: Kogi Government Assures All of Safety

The Kogi State Government has assured all its citizens, especially those from the Eastern Senatorial Zone, that its intention to reconstitute the Grazing Reserve Management Committee, in line with the 1965 Northern Nigeria Government Grazing Reserve Law and modified 1978 Land Use Decree of the Federal Government of Nigeria, was in the interest of all and not intended to harm anyone or group.


In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Kehinde Oloruntoba, and released today 14th today 14th June in Lokoja, the government said the exercise is NOT targeted at any particular section of the state and that it was commuted to finding lasting peace between the herdsmen and farmers.


The statement reads in part: "Our attention has been drawn to an erroneous interpretation of our memo dated 20th May, 2017 with reference number MOA/KGVL40.VOL1/92 reconstituting the grazing reserve management committee.


"NO BILL has been sent to Kogi State House of Assembly in this regard. This exercise is NOT targeted at any particular section of the state as part of the terms of reference of the committee is to identify other locations within the state. In view of the amount of interest and concerns it has generated, the committee has been dissolved and the entire exercise put on hold immediately.


"The State Government has devised other ingenuous ways of dealing with the Fulani - Farmers crisis in the State."

The full statement is posted below and the scanned copy is above...

PRESS RELEASE
RE: STATE GRAZING RESERVE COMMITTEE
Our attention has been drawn to an erroneous interpretation of our memo dated 20th May, 2017 with reference number MOA/KGVL40.VOL1/92 reconstituting the grazing reserve management committee. We wish to state as follows:


1. That the Committee is set up to look at the workability of reconstituting the Grazing Reserve Committee in the two gazetted grazing reserves and other possible suitable locations in the State to deal with the the menace of farmers Fulani crisis following the directive of the federal government of Nigeria.


2. That the two grazing reserves locations gazette over 20 years ago and not under the administration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
3. That NO BILL has been sent to Kogi State House of Assembly in this regard.
4. That this exercise is NOT targeted at any particular section of the state as part of the terms of reference of the committee is to identify other locations within the state.


5. That in view of the amount of interest and concerns it has generated, the committee has been dissolved and the entire exercise put on hold immediately.


6. That the State Government has devised other ingenuous ways of dealing with the Fulani - Farmers crisis in the State.
7. That Government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello will continue to develop all parts of the State evenly.
8. That Kogi State Ministry of Agriculture shall involve all Stakeholders in finding a lasting solution to the herdsmen-farmers problems.
Thank you.
Oloruntoba Kehinde
Hon. Commissioner