A NATIONAL Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has called for a national introspection into the causes of the killings in Benue and Taraba states.
Tinubu, who also called on the Federal Government to proffer alternatives to grazing, affirmed the need for more years of outstanding governance to overcome the teething challenges facing the country which he said were inherited by the present administration.
Speaking at the Daily Trust Dialogue in Abuja on Thursday, Tinubu called for reforms of the fuel subsidy regime which he affirmed as untenable.
“I would be remiss at this moment if I failed to mention the terrible killings that have occurred in Benue and Taraba states.
“It is important that we place the current crisis in proper context. No one should pretend that this evil just suddenly appeared from nowhere. We have been living and dying with this lethal situation for many years.
“In years past, there have been herdsmen attacks smaller than this. There also have been attacks larger than this.
“The current hue and cry against these killings is hopefully a sign that we are maturing as a nation. That we shall no longer countenance the wanton destruction of human lives no matter the religion, ethnicity or origin of the victims or the villains. If so, maybe this nation is coming of age and none too soon.”
Speaking further, the APC leader said: “As we commend these security measures, we must not lose sight of the fact that the problem bears an economic origin. Thus, agro-economic policy initiatives must help shape the lasting solution.
“The crux of the matter is that the nomadic way of life is fast becoming obsolete. Large scale nomadic practice does not belong in this day and age. This is reality and it is inescapable.
Thus, herders have no right to cling to this way of life by killing others. Government must stop their violence but also offer them a viable new way of life by moving them toward more modern, non-nomadic cattle rearing.”
