A former governor of Nasarawa state, Abdullahi Adamu has called on governments at all levels to support and protect herdsmen.
Speaking on Monday at a media briefing in Abuja, Adamu said herdsmen also have rights just as every other Nigerian have.
He said: “The duty to protect the herdsman and the farmer rests squarely on the table of the national government, the state government and the local government,”
“The question is, has the government done what it ought to do to protect the people in that category or in that trade? The answer is no.
- Advertisement -
“You cannot blame the person who is desperate and looking for a means of livelihood. However, this does not excuse anybody in the course of exercising his right, to do harm to another person’s right.
Also Read:;I Sympathise With Igbo, But Zoning Presidency is Unconstitutional — Adamu
“A farmer has the right to farm. If you take your cattle to his farm and cause damage, he has a right to claim and he can claim in the court of law. It doesn’t matter. If all the northern governors echo the same thing that the southern governors did, it doesn’t change it. The government owes these herdsmen a duty to protect their calling.
- Advertisement -
“Yes, there is modernisation, but it is not the fault of the herdsman that he still grazes the same way he has been doing. We have misdirected our political thinking and activism by refusing to tackle the main issue.
“If you can protect a spare parts dealer, why can’t you protect herdsmen?
If the government and CBN can protect failing banks, why can’t you protect herdsmen?”
