Gov Ganduje urges herdsmen to relocate to Kano

The governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has called on Fulani herdsmen to vacate states like Benue, Taraba and others where they are having issues and relocate to Kano State, saying that his state has a “vast grazing land” that will accommodate them and their cattle.

The governor made this call on Sunday during the monitoring of the state’s “free vaccination of over one million cattle and other small animals” at Kadawa Artificial Insemination Centre in the Garum Malam Local Government Area of the state.

The state put up the exercise entitled “Towards Conservation of Livestock Resource and Animal Protein for Citizens of Kano,” as part of activities to mark the 2017/2018 livestock vaccination programme.

According to the governor, the vaccination was put together to keep animals healthy and improve the economy of the state as well as part of the government’s commitment to encourage herdsmen in the state.

While he condemned the recent killings during the clashes between farmers and herdsmen is some states as unacceptable, Ganduje said his government has been making provision for facilities to accommodate the herdsmen and their cattle to discourage them from moving to other states in search of grazing land.

“Fulani herdsmen of Kano origin do not move out of Kano to other states because we have enough grazing land, ranches and traditional stock route. They don’t have any reason to move out of the state. We take care of them and we accord them the respect and dignity they deserve.

“I am inviting herdsmen from all parts of Nigeria to relocate to Kano because we have enough facilities to accommodate them. We have grazing land in Rogo, Gaya, Kura, Tudun Wada, Ungogo and other places, where facilities have been provided to accommodate the herdsmen and their cattle,” he said.

The governor further hinted that his government already is working with the Federal Government and foreign agencies to convert the Falgore Game Reserve into a modern grazing land.

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He said, “Falgore Game Reserve can take care of millions of herdsmen and their cattle in Nigeria. The location has been designed to accommodate schools, human and animal clinics, markets, recreational centres and other social amenities that would provide the herdsmen enough comfort to take care of their animals and transact their business without any hindrance.

“These killings must stop. We cannot afford to continue to witness these senseless killings in the name of Fulani herdsmen and farmers clash over lack of grazing land when we have a place like the Falgore Game Reserve, which is being underutilised.”

The governor added that to ensure the government takes care of the cattle through free vaccination and other incentives, that his administration had stated registration of herdsmen and their cattle.

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