‘Bushes aren’t the problem’ — Ndume faults move to ban open grazing in the south

Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, has kicked against the decision by the governors in the south to ban open grazing and movement of cattle by foot.

The governors took the decision at a meeting in Delta state on Tuesday.

According to them, the ban will prevent the frequent clashes between farmers and herders, and also improve security in the region.

But speaking with reporters in Abuja on Wednesday, Ndume said the governors are engaging in a “blame game” that will not solve the problem.

“This blame game will not solve the problem,” the chairman of the senate committee on army said.

“Governors are the chief security officers of their states, so, why are they talking about the president without talking about themselves? The governors are deviating from the matter. The problem is not about open grazing.

“The problem is security. Most of the security problems confronting Nigeria are not in the bush.

“We have four different types of security challenges. We have an insurgency in the north-east; IPOB, through the Eastern Security Network, is creating insecurity in the south-east; there is banditry in the north-west.

“It is only in the north-central that we have issues of farmer-herder clashes. There are fewer problems in the south-west except for the clashes between the herdsmen and the farmers, and the agitators for the Yoruba nation.

“Similarly, in the south-south, they are trying to instigate the avengers, but so far the area is peaceful. The issue of insecurity is unique to each zone. President Buhari has taken charge of the security personally now.

“It used to be the chief of staff or the minister of defence who was having meetings with the service chiefs but today, the president has taken charge of the problem.”