Stakeholders in Kaduna State have appealed to the Federal Government to take more proactive measures to permanently address the farmers/herders clashes in parts of the country.
The stakeholders’ appeal was issued in a communique on Monday after at a one-day farmers/herders dialogue for peace at the King Abdulah Bin Abdullazeez International Centre for Inter -religious and cultural dialogue in Kaduna.
The conference, organised in collaboration with Interfaith Mediation Forum for Peace, noted with concern that the inclusiveness and peaceful coexistence enjoyed by all in years past had been eroded and replaced with mistrust, suspicion and hate for one other.
The stakeholders noted with concern the manner that the Federal Government had handled the crises, saying it had fallen short of expectations of Nigerians.
Participants at the conference were drawn from Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and Interfaith Mediation Centre.
Others are Jamaátu Nasir Islam (JNI), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Women Interfaith Council (WIC), and traditional rulers from some areas affected by the crises.
The stakeholders said that trivial issues that could be amicably resolved had assumed ethnic and religious colouration thereby undermining the unity of the country.
The participants appealed to all tiers of government to involve major stakeholders proffering solution to the crises.
They called governments to invest more in agriculture sector through public-private partnership participation for faster growth of the sector.
“The three tiers of government should come up with articulate guidelines on how to address the issues at the community level by providing adequate infrastructure for both parties access,’’ it said.
They also advised government to identify and prosecute drivers of conflict to serve as deterrent to others.
Members also advised that professionals in conflict management should be engaged to revive community relations for unity.
“We should harness internal and external collaboration to find sustainable solution to the crises.
“Government should avoid policy summersault and come up with a deliberate and workable policy to address the crises.
“The regional and urban planning laws should be deliberately designed to encourage intra and inter ethno – religious habitation.
“Effort should be made to recover existing grazing reserves, trans- human stock routes, resting points and watering facilities for livestock farmers.
“Livestock and Crops Farmers Commission should be established,” the participants said in the communique.’’
They urged governments to also give special concession to livestock farmers like their crop counterparts on the anchor borrower programme.
Participants called on security agencies to be more thorough and unbiased in investigating the root causes of the crises.
They observed that the problem of proliferation of small and light weapons, illegal security uniforms, hard drugs and influx of aliens should be effectively monitored.
They called for capacity building for crop and livestock farmers along the line of agricultural value chain, urging various governments, traditional rulers and religious institutions as well as community-based organisations to join in fighting the menace.
The participants urged the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to regulate the activities of the vigilante groups.
The meeting called for scaling up of the criminal justice system for quick dispensation of justice to victims of the crises.
The enjoined Federal Government to also address poverty and youth unemployment in the country to tackle their involvement in such clashes.
The communique was signed by Amina Kazaure of WIC, Ruth Joshua Magaji, CAN Women Wing, Kaduna State, Haruna Usman , MACBAN chairman, Kaduna State branch, Usman Ibrahim Michika , AFAN chairman , Adamawa State chapter, and Charles U. Ndukwe, Interfaith Mediation Centre,Kaduna.