The new executive officers of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Oyo State chapter, have been urged to collaborate with the Governor ‘Seyi Makinde-led administration to build peace and ensure food security in the state.
According to a release signed by Moses Alao, Special Assistant (Print Media), to the Oyo State Governor, the government also urged cattle breeders to preach peace and harmonious coexistence among their members. The government noted that it needs the cooperation of all stakeholders to participate in farming and business directly.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Barr. Olasunkanmi Olaleye, gave this advice recently at the inauguration of the new executives of Miyetti Allah, noting that the government remained open to the executive.
Olaleye, who was represented by Dr Adeniran Liadi Mobolaji, the Chief Veterinary Medical Officer, Control Post and Cattle Markets, and the Deputy Director of Veterinary Services, lauded Governor Makinde for taking proactive steps to address the herders-farmers clash in the state.
He added that the administration had also launched several initiatives to boost livestock production in the state, including free vaccination of large animals across the 33 local government areas of the state, free anthrax vaccination, and the administration of 250,000 doses of PPR vaccines for sheep and goats, among others.
He said: “His Excellency has taken proactive measures to stop the farmers-herders crisis in the state by providing enough security for livestock and arable farmers.
“You will all recall that immediately after the Federal Government removed the fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023, our magnanimous governor launched an intervention strategy in August 2023 to ensure that citizens were relieved of their pain.
“A programme tagged Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) was introduced, and the initiative introduced to boost livestock production in the state includes vaccination of large animals across the 33 Local Government Council Areas to improve the cattle value chain in Oyo State and anthrax vaccination for all cattle in the state.”
Olaleye congratulated the new executive members, reminding them of the government’s digital identity cards for cattle breeders and dealers and the need for their members to comply so that genuine cattle breeders in the state could be easily identified.
The good message is that you should maintain the peace wherever you are and preach peace in all your gatherings to promote the good image of the Oyo State Government.
“I call unto you to join hands with the present administration in the state to enhance access to food through peaceful co-existence and direct participation in farming and business because the government alone cannot do it all,” the commissioner added.
Speaking earlier, Baba Usman Ngelzarma, the national president of MACBAN, lauded Governor Makinde’s tremendous and consistent support of herdsmen in Oyo State.
He urged the state government to replicate the Federal Ministry of Livestock at the state level and appreciated the host communities’ understanding.
Ngelzarma threw his weight behind the ongoing identification and profiling system of herdsmen in the state, saying that it would help to differentiate good herdsmen from bad eggs.
Similarly, the Seriki Fulani of Lagos, Muhammed Bambado II, who also attended the event, commended Governor Makinde’s fatherly roles, which he noted had made life more abundant for the herding communities in Oyo State.
He advised herders to conduct well while carrying out their herding activities.
