Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello, has said that the revitalization of Bobi Cattle Grazing Reserve was a deliberate intervention by his administration to proffer lasting solution to the incessant clashes between farmers and herders.
He made this disclosure while chatting with newsmen after he paid a visit to the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief Audu Ogbeh in his office in Abuja.
Governor Sani-Bello who described the recurrent bloody clashes between farmers and herders as needless, said the state was poised to see to the end of the violent faceoff, hence the revitalization of Bobi and other grazing reserves in the state.
He said that there are three gazetted grazing reserves in the state but his administration is flagging off with over 31,000 hectares reserve in Bobi, Mariga Local Government area of the state,adding that works on the revitalization of the reserve are almost at the point of completion.
The Governor who noted that the main reason for the conflict between farmers and herders was the encroachment into the grazing reserve, maintained that reviving of the area would provide solution to the incessant farmers/herders clash in the state.
According to Governor Sani-Bello, “In Niger State what we are trying to do with the official flag off of Bobi Grazing Reserve is to show Nigerians that it is possible for herdsmen and farmers to live peacefully.”
“Over time, we have noticed that the main reason for conflict between farmers and herdsmen was because of the encroachment into the grazing reserve. So this effort to revive the Bobi Grazing Reserve will hopefully be effective in addressing some of the security challenges and conflicts we are facing these days.”
“So Niger State is working with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Bank of Nigeria to ensure that the Bobi Grazing Reserve comes to reality and our hope is that in few weeks time it will be the first Grazing Reserve to be flagged off in Nigeria.”
In his remarks, the Minister of Agriculture Chief Audu Ogbeh described Governor Sani-Bello as one of the Governors who are committed to agricultural development activities in the country.
The Minister also assured that the Federal Government would partner with the state in making Bobi cattle ranch a flagship in the country. Adding that Niger State Government has invested much in the 31,000 hecters of the gazzeted area at the Bobi Grazing Reseve.
Jibrin Baba Ndace
Chief Press Secretary
*Gov Sani-Bello ( third from right) during the visit to the Minister.