The Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, has vowed never to go back on the implementation of the open grazing prohibition and ranches establishment law enacted by the state government.
He said maintaining law and order, which is one of the aims of the law, remained sacrosanct.
Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Bala Dan Abu, in Abuja on Sunday, Ishaku added that he had at the inception of his administration battled cattle rustlers into submission without foreseeing the onslaught of herdsmen.
However, he debunked claims that the law has been rested, noting that the implementation was delayed to prevent a situation where the state government will be seen as insensitive.
Abu said, “But, the government does not intend to back out; the law is in force, it is going to be implemented. What the governor has said is that it will be done gradually so people do not suffer unnecessarily; so that people who are opposed to it will not say government is unmindful of the feelings of the people.”
He revealed that the state government was in the process of establishing three pilot ranches that other states can take a cue from.
Abu further noted that the ranches, when completed, will prevent herders from wandering about.
Stressing that ranching was nothing strange in the state, especially in the Mambilla area, the governor’s aide disclosed that the state government would bring a modern way of ranching that will be comparable to what obtains in Europe and America.
“The state government wants to improve on what is available now to ensure those ranches are provided with facilities like water, grass, veterinary clinics and even schools for their children, so they can derive maximum benefit from their cow. The ultimate idea is that if they stay in one place, their cow will become better, fatter and produce more milk. There is a plan to establish a dairy factory, making use of the milk from the cattle.
“Unfortunately, and to the surprise of many, some people are saying they don’t want it; it’s not even the herders themselves, those against it are some elite Fulani; most of who are outside Taraba,” Abu said.
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