A Fulani herdsman in Zamfara State, Aminu Usman has appealed to Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle to as a matter of urgency return the glory of cattle rearing in the state.
In an exclusive interview in Gusau, Usman said cattle rearing had contributed significantly to the economic growth of the northern part of Nigeria.
Usman explained that in recent times, the cattle rearing business has declined due to banditry activities ravaging the entire region and has become so terrible and risky forcing Fulani cattle rearers to abandon their procession.
” It is not news that cattle rearing is the habitual occupation of the Fulani people who move their livestock from one place to the other for grazing”, he added.
He said Zamfara State is one of the states in the North seriously affected, pointing out that the Fulani cattle rearers no longer protect their lives and livestock from danger.
Usman expressed worry that most of the Fulani cattle rearers have been dispossessed of their cattle through rustling, saying that most of them have lost their lives, a situation that totally crippled the business, making meat to be expensive for the common masses to purchase.
“Because of the security challenges facing the north, cattle rearing in the region can no longer thrive as before, because something went wrong”
“Majority of the Fulanis are herdsmen and are stark illiterates which remains the immediate factor that negatively brought about the escalation of insecurity”
According to him, the Fulani community look at western education as something that has no value to them and as a result, they have a negative impression and approach to that effect as they perceive Western education wrongly.
He called on the state chapter of the Miyetti Allah cattle breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to design formidable strategies that would protect the Fulani cattle rearers and their livestock to boost the economy of the state.
Usman urged the state government to collaborate with other stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the teething problems of cattle rearing to improve the economy of the state.
He said the progress of any society depends largely on the ability of the leaders to facilitate the desired positive objectives so that the citizens can contribute their quarters towards economic growth.
“It becomes imperative for leaders of good vision to chart out plans of action for smooth implementation of certain programs based on priority.
