By Titus Atondu, Makurdi
The comments of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), National Secretary, Baba Usman Ngelzarma on Channels Television in which he described as failure, the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of Benue State did not come to the audience of Benue State as a surprise.
A statement signed by Terver Akase, Chief Press Secretary during the weekend and made available to Nigerian NewDirect, described him as “one of those whose willful ignorance and misinterpretation of the law have fueled bitter emotions and hatred among pastoralists to embark on a killing spree of farmers in Benue State and other parts of the country.”
The statement also stated that the MACBAN National Secretary is not new to contradictory statements, it is on record that he and other officials of the group visited Benue State in 2017 and after a meeting with Governor Samuel Ortom, addressed the media where they pledged support for the state’s Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law.
Akase further explained that at the occasion, Ngelzarma who spoke on behalf of the delegation, admitted that with their deeper knowledge of the law during their visit to Benue, it was now obvious to MACBAN that the legislation was indeed not targeted at Fulani or any other group and their only appeal was for extension of the November 2017 deadline given for the commencement of implementation and enforcement of the law.
The statement also added that for the Miyetti Allah mouthpiece to go on national television to kick against the same law they once described as ‘a win-win for all’ only proves that “he is a merchant of crisis and one of those bent on truncating the peace building process in Benue and other states of the federation.”
He stated that Miyetti Allah’s anger towards Governor Samuel Ortom is well understood and the people of Benue State expected the MACBAN National Secretary and his group to feel frustrated after the Governor refused to accept their offer to betray his people and repeal the law in order to attract personal favours from their sponsors.
The statement stated that Miyetti Allah ought to know that Benue’s law on open grazing has recorded tremendous success since it was enacted and many people who own livestock in the state have ranched their animals, while over 400 law breakers have been arrested with some already tried by competent courts and convicted.
He further stated that the utterances of Miyetti Allah confirmed what Governor Ortom has been saying all along that they are responsible for the killing of Benue people.
“Miyetti Allah are sacred cows who are not only untouchable but who also enjoy the protection and patronage of their sponsors; otherwise, they should have since been proscribed and their members put behind bars.”
The statement further explained that Miyetti Allah groups have not hidden their evil agenda, “they threaten farming communities and carry out such threats leaving hundreds dead, yet, they have the audacity to go to television studios and heap insults on victims of their carnage.
“The question Ngelzarma and others who blame herdsmen’s attacks and killings in Benue on the law fail to answer is; what is responsible for similar killings in states which have no laws on open grazing such as Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Plateau?
“Benue people must make it clear to Miyetti Allah groups and others who want Benue to repeal the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law to stop daydreaming, that the law has come to stay, and no amount of sponsored propaganda can compel the State Government to repeal it.”