By ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi-
The current crisis across the country involving herders is caused by the need for arable land and growth in population, the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Yusuf Tuggar, has stated.
According to him, education and a better approach to pastoralism are some of the ways to be followed to out an end to the crisis.
Tuggar made his position known in an interview with journalists shortly after his revalidation as a Member of the All Progressives Congress at his Central Primary School, Udubo Ward in Gamawa local government area of Bauchi state on Monday.
“This crisis is as a result of the growth of our population, don’t forget that we are going to be 400 million people by 2050, we’re going to be the third largest country in the world demographically. So, this is something that we’re going to have to find a more permanent solution to. It is also the pressure and the contestation for arable land.
“I think the solution really is education, better redefinition and approach to pastoralism and the understanding of tran-shumans which is a way of life, a culture,” he stated.
He added that: “Even in the Europe that we keep talking about and some people looking down on herdsmen thinking that they are inferior or it is some kind of backward way of existence, you’ll find out that it (Europe) has gypsies. In the US, we have cowboys, these are all tran-shumans.
“It is just understanding that we can subsist side by side with each other and still continue to progress. The herders too are contributing, the same way farmers are contributing to our economy, to our well-being.”
The Ambassador faulted the Ekiti and Osun State governors, Kayode Fayemi and Rotimi Akeredolu respectively, over the quit notice they issued to herders to leave their forests pointing out that they took a wrong approach.
He said: “It’s a completely wrong approach and going by Nigeria’s constitution, you can tell anybody to leave anywhere. They have a right by the Constitution to live anywhere in this country.”
Asked to react to insinuations that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) led APC administration has not started and completed any project since it took over power, he said there is currently no hunger in the country because of what the goverment has put in place.
He said that Nigerians are too critical and always focusing on negativity.
“Have you been to Kaduna and Abuja recently? You’d use a train, who completed that project? Have been to Lagos and Ibadan? The same thing. The 2nd Niger bridge, the same thing, I could go on and on.
“Look at the Fertilizer Blending Plants, they’re all over the country. Look at rice, why do you think there is no hunger at the moment? It is because there are rice Mills, rice farming is going on, the farmers are going more, their output has increased exponentially, you just have to look.
“You see, were too critical, we always focus on the negative, but I suppose, that is partly our nature. You the media has to look beyond superficial criticisms, dig deeper and you’ll see,” he stated.
He declared that there has been no other goverment that has implemented the type of infrastructure projects as this current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Tuggar, who ran twice for the Bauchi state governorship under the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), described the revalidation and registration exercise as impressive.
He said: “The turnout is very impressive and this shows you how popular the APC is in Bauchi state even though it does not have power at the state level. But that notwithstanding, the party remains the strongest at the grassroots, ward, local government and polling unit levels.”
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