ECOWAS Holds Confab On Farmers, Herders Clashes | The Precision

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Nasarawa LGA warns herdsmen to stay off farmland
ECOWAS holds confab on herdsmen, farmers clashes
By Ismaila Chafe

The 15-member countries of the ECOWAS would converge on Abuja on
April 26 to begin deliberation on the violent clashes between farmers
and herders across the sub-region.

 

The meeting which would be opened by President Muhammadu Buhari was
designed to finding permanent solutions to the persistent
farmers-herders clashes in Nigeria and beyond.
The Minister of Interior, retired Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, said
after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja that the
meeting said that the conference, which was initially planned for last
February.
”This is why, for instance, we initiated the conference that is to
come up between April 26 and 29 under the ECOWAS Protocol on Free
Movement of Persons, Goods and Services.
The conference would focus particularly on the protocol on the
movement of trans-humans which was signed in 1978 but yet to be
implemented.
“I had meetings with President ECOWAS Commission, the one that left,
and we agreed to have this conference sometime last month. But because
they were leaving and new set of management was coming in it was shifted
to toward the end of this month.
”So, the whole idea is to look at this issue of movements across borders.
”So, this month, on April 26, God willing, we are going to have this
conference and Mr President has graciously agreed to open the
conference,’’ he said.

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He said the conference, which would also attract participants from
the Central African Republic, Chad, Cameroon, Morocco and Mauritania
would explore the relationship between the ECOWAS Protocol on Free
Movement, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, and
trans-border criminal activities.
The minister also alerted Nigerians on fake news alerts being circulated in the social media.
Dambazau, who was particularly reacting to purported invasion of
Abuja by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), popularly
known as Shi’ites, urged citizens to be mindful of such news.
He assured that the nation’s security agencies were in full control of the situation.
“Well, I am not sure of where that alert is coming from. You know
that these days, you have to be very mindful of these things in the
social media.

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“It is like I saw one yesterday saying that there is going to be nuclear attack in the United Kingdom and was broadcast by the BBC, and it is fake. So, you have to be very careful with that.
Farmers get training on farming techniques
Farmers
”But I want to reassure you that law and order exist within the
society and the FCT minister is very aware and is on top of it because
of what happened recently. The commissioner of police is aware and is
part of it.
“About some people attacking or not, I think is something that we
have to be cautious of where such information is coming from. If there
is anything like that, you will get it from official sources.
“As at now, there is nothing like that because the police are
handling that. You must have listened to the news last night and this
morning, the commissioner of police FCT came out to speak and he assured
all residents of FCT of security of lives and property.’’
The minister also disclosed that the federal executive council
approved N288 million for the purchase of eight rapid intervention
vehicles for the Federal Fire Service and fire-fighting equipment and 25
operational vehicles at N4.5 billion.
He said the council also approved N166million for the procurement of
285 motorcycles for the Nigerian Immigration Service for border patrol
and security assignments across the country. (NAN)

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