The Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has assured residents that his administration is committed to curbing the continuous havoc caused by the Fulani herdsmen across communities in the state.
He confirmed that those involved in kidnapping, rape, robbery and other vices have been arrested and will soon be tried in appropriate courts of law
The governor made this known at the 19th edition of Ogwa Ika a gathering of his kinsmen and the launch of the Ika Dictionary (Ekukwo Oku Nkowa)
The peace and tranquility which existed in Delta state over the years in recent times is being disturbed by the alleged killings of herdsmen
Frequent clashes between herdsmen and farmers which appear to have become a huge challenge not only in Delta state but across the country is one of the topics up for discussion at the 19th edition of Ogwa Ika organised by Ika kinsmen in Owa, Ika north-east Local Government Area of Delta State.
In an address, Daniel Usifor, Head, Collective Leadership, implored all to make frantic efforts to preserve the Ika culture and tradition
“Onu Ika has largely inflamed, sustained and enlarged the frontier of Ika identity and the mantra of Ika unity”
The Guest Speaker in the lecture titled “The paradox of nomadic Fulani herdsmen and host communities, Prof. Gordini Darah stressed that the ultimate solution to the terror of herdsmen lies in the restructuring of the political and economic systems in Nigeria
“The popular demand is for the country to be run according to the principles of federalism which Nigerian nationalists agreed upon at Independence in 1960.
“The conflicts generated by the nefarious activities of nomadic herdsmen are symptomatic of a larger structural and ideological crisis in Nigeria; the systems of power and authority in the country do not serve the interests of the vast majority of the people.”
The governor used the occasion to state what his administration has been doing to tackle herdsmen menace, observing that while there are genuine herdsmen, there are also criminally minded ones amongst them heavily armed with assault rifles adding that so many of them have been arrested and will be tried at designated courts in the state
“A lot of those who are involved in kidnappings have been arrested, they will be tried at designated courts, unfortunately, some of our people connive with them to commit a crime, they will all be tried.”
“Most states are affected by the activities of herdsmen but, with the massive land in the north, through irrigation, can have enough land for grazing with ranches,” he stated.
Although the Nigerian government has plans to establish grazing reserves and ranches as part of its modernization efforts to tackle the menace heads on, this gathering has advised that in doing this, the government must not impose laws that will dispose communities and individuals of their lands.
