Use Sambisa Forest For Ranching – A’Ibom Senator Advises FG

Senator for Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District, Chris Ekpenyong has appealed to the Federal Government to consider converting a portion of the vast Sambisa Forest to a ranch.

This, he said, would help to address incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the country.

However, he said that FG must first encourage the military to reclaim the forest from insurgents that have converted it into an abode.

Ekpenyong, who was Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, spoke over the weekend while responding to the nefarious activities of arms-bearing herdsmen in Southern Nigeria.

“Worsening insecurity in Nigeria today as a result of insurgency, banditry and Herders-Farmers crisis has become a major cause for concern. Thousands of people have been killed, communities have been destroyed. The orgy of killings and destructions is seriously affecting national cohesion.

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“For the Farmers/Herders crisis, a comprehensive approach is necessary to address the escalation. And I recommend that the federal government should take over sambisa forest from Boko Haram, bandits and create ranches in order to save our country the agony we are going through currently.

“The Sambisa grazing Reserve of 4800 hectares is an ideal and symbolic place to take-off by establishing a ranch run by the military. It will significantly improve the security situation in the northeast zone and encourage cooperation between pastoralists, communities and the military.

“In the Northwest, the military should also be encouraged to create ranches in the Gidan Jaja Grazing Reserve (565,000 ha) for the same purpose of improving security and cooperation with Herdsmen.

“Cattle rearing is a business and must be done as a business, other than trying to seize land by force,” Ekpenyong stated.

He encouraged the leadership of Miyetti Allah to approach state governors with a proposal on lease of land in their states for the purpose of ranching, saying open grazing of cattle has become archaic.

Ekpenyong noted that only holistic approach to finding a lasting solution to insecurity would work, stating that piecemeal efforts would come to naught.