No free land for grazing in Oyo state ----Ajimobi warns
(Nigeria) Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has
said that the proposed creation of grazing zones across the country is
ill-advised, warning that the proposal was against the spirit of the land use
act and the overriding public interest.
The governor bared his mind on the raging controversy
trailing the alleged sponsorship of a bill at the National Assembly for the
creation of grazing zones for cattle across the country as a panacea to the
perennial clash between trespassing herdsmen and farm owners.
Ajimobi spoke during the launch of the ‘AgricOyo,’ the Oyo
State agriculture initiative, held at Paago, via Iseyin, in Oke Ogun zone of
the state, on Tuesday.
At the event were investors, outgrowers, beneficiaries,
institutional partners, outtakers, traditional rulers, and top officials of the
state.
The governor said, “This is the time to call a spade a
spade. Those clamouring for creation of grazing zones across the country should
have a rethink. It is against the Land Use Act; it is against the law of
natural justice to seize people’s land to cater for someone’s cattles.
“Grazing zones could be created for those who are
traditional cattle rearers in their areas. I’m not against that. But, you
cannot come here and tell me you want to occupy our land for grazing zones. The
land exists in our respective states and as such the rigthtful owners should
decide what to do with them.
“Anybody outside this zone willing to rear cattle here will
need to approach the state to buy the land and we offer what is available with
rules. There is no free land for grazing zones. We need to take this firm
position. It won’t happen.”
On the new agriculture initiative, the governor was upbeat
that it would create one million direct jobs across the agric value chain
thereby taking many unemployed youths off the streets.
Ajimobi was upbeat that the state would become the food
basket of the Southern part of the country in the short run when the programme
commenced in full swing, with the ultimate ambition of feeding the country.
The governor, who said that the initiative was aimed at
diversifying the economy of the state, assured the people that the programme
would add value to the lives of citizens of the state across different sectors.
He said, "I am elated that the agricultural initiative
has attracted these important dignitaries in the Agric business world and as
well as a vast majority of our youths as beneficiaries of the scheme.
"This project will reduce over-dependence on oil,
create wealth, alleviate poverty, encourage productivity, create jobs and bring
about the overall socio-economic uplift of Oyo State.
"Farming is very profitable and we will do everything
possible to make it attractive in Oyo State to diversify our economy."
He said the phase one of the project would focus on the
production of maize, cassava, rice, poultry, soya beans and aquaculture.
Speaking on the anxiety of farmers over security of their
lives and their farmlands in the face of the menace of the marauding herdsmen,
the governor charged the farmers and the entire rural dwellers to be more
vigilant and report suspicious activities of offending cattle rearers to
security agencies around them.
He warned that it was illegal for the herdsmen to destroy
farmlands and attacks farmers in the guise of feeding their animals.
While welcoming the Governor and his entourage, the
Caretaker Chairman of Iseyin Local Government, Alhaji Saheed Alaran said that
agricultural has always proven to be a major aspect of the social and
occupational lives of the people.
He said, "This programme will benefit the state
immensely through the provision of food and employment to our teeming youths
through the synergy between the state and the local government
administrations."
In her opening remarks, the Chairperson of the State
Agricultural Initiative Committee, Mrs. Tolu Shadipe, lauded the efforts of the
state government in ensuring that the vision became a reality, a development
she said would take agriculture back to its pride of place for the economic
benefit of the people of the State.
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi and the
Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdul-Ganiyu Adekunle Salawudeen, in their separate
remarks, commended Ajimobi for the initiative, which they said was
unprecedented since the days of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
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