An association of pastoralists, Kulen Allah Cattle Readers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN), has criticized the proposed herders/livestock census in the country.
The association in a signed statement on Monday by its National President, Hon. Khalil Mohammed, said that the proposed census agreed to by another group, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), was in bad light.
Mohammed alleged that MACBAN leadership initiated the herders/livestock census during a meeting with the Southern Governors in Akure.
Mohammed said “though, we are not objecting to people’s freedom of speech/expression of their opinions in all matters of national interest, as stipulated in our well Cherished constitution and in the United Nation charter of 1945, but as one of the Nigeria’s Pastoralists Stakeholders who are keenly interested in anything related to the nation’s pastoral occupation, we strongly oppose and reject in totality anything having to do with isolationism or exclusive counting of any tribe in Nigeria, including herders/livestock census, as opined by one of our sister associations.”
He said: “Our condemnation and strong objection of the said whimsical or myopic counting, as proposed, has to do with the following tentative reasons: It is the first time in the history of Nigeria, a single tribe out of over two hundred tribes, is being initiated to be singly counted for reasons best known to those proposing it.”
“The herders will be cocooned and marooned in their fatherland by restricting their free movement in their struggle for survival in search of animal pasture and water points for their livestock,” he said.
Mohammed lamented that the census negated the nation’s constitution which stated that, no tribe’s name will be mentioned during conduct of any census exercise.
He equally disagreed with the counting and documentation of herders and their livestock at this time of serious unrest, which according to him, would make them to be seen as criminals in the eyes of other Nigerians.
Mohammed, while stating that the outcome of the census would be disputed by everyone, said: “Above all, according to Nigeria’s rigid constitution, it is only the National Population Commission that is responsible for carrying out population census but not an individual group.
“Likewise it is only the Directorate of Animal Husbandry Services of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development that is responsible for conducting census or estimation of Country’s livestock.”
He noted that in a country “where we have an estimation of over 20 million cattle and maybe, 30 to 40 million goats, sheep and camels, financial backing remains the major concern on who will fund the project as the planners of the concept did not clearly intimate us on who will be the financier of the excise.”
He said: “We of KACRAN strongly wish to advise Federal and our Northern State Governments to face the reality by reclaiming all the encroached grazing reserves, the narrowed or totally blocked cattle routes and revive them through adequate provision of animal pasture and water points as well as good security system to stop our herders’ unnecessary movement to Southern part of this country, because that is the only way of ending these crises that might cause negative action and reaction between Northern part of this country and other parts.”
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