By Kayode Fasua

The Oyo State Government at the weekend dared the federal government with a revelation that it would not only start the implementation of its anti-open grazing law in full hog, but will also raise a special task force to hunt down defaulting herdsmen.

Makinde, also, said it was clear that governors across the federation “are not the Chief Security Officers” of their respective states, but mere Chief Logistics Officer.”

The state governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde revealed this plan at a session with journalists at the Government House, Ibadan, Oyo State capital, noting that the task force would be inaugurated in the next two months.

In a 12-point communiqué last month, the Forum of Southern Governors announced a ban on open grazing in all the 17 Southern states, asking the federal government to support willing states to develop alternative and modern livestock management systems.

The forum noted that the unity of the country should be “on the basis of justice, fairness, equity and oneness and peaceful co-existence between and among its peoples with a focus on the attainment of shared goals for economic development and prosperity.

In response, the president questioned the legality of the forum to prohibit open grazing in the southern region of the federation, noting that his administration was working on other alternatives to bring peace between farmers and herders.

Makinde’s latest move came on the heels of a joint decision by the southern governors to outlaw open-grazing, amid concerns over recurring Fulani herdsmen attacks and cases of kidnapping, assault, and raping, traced to the herders.

Makinde was particularly appalled by the spectre of Fulani herdsmen whom he sighted grazing their flock on local farmers’ plantations, on his way from Ibadan to Iseyin in Oyo State on Thursday.

Makinde, who sighted the scenery in company of his Benue counterpart, Dr. Samuel Ortom, had on the day commissioned the 65-kilometre Moniya-Iseyin road, which his administration constructed.

At the session Friday, Makinde said: “Give us eight weeks, there is going to be a task force on open-grazing. In the course of time, we will set up the mechanism. Certainly, we will implement it. It is going to cause a lot of issues but we will implement it.”

Describing the zone as the main source of the rating of Oyo as the second largest producer of farm produce in Nigeria, Makinde said he would not allow such income-yielding heritage to be destroyed.

The governor particularly noted that the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State, which the new road passes through

remains the food basket of the country and should not be allowed to be destroyed.

Makinde also expressed frustration with efforts by his administration to protect the local farmers, saying it was now clear that governors in Nigeria are not the “Chief Security Officers” of their respective states, but mere “Chief Logistics Officer”.

He said: “I signed the anti-open grazing bill into law in November 2019 but the police cannot implement it, because they are watching the body language of their bosses in Abuja. The Amotekun (Southwest security corps) were trying to implement our anti grazing law but the police stopped them.

“I challenged them (the police) but they said the Amotekun would only be justified if someone had been killed; a sort of voice of Jacob and hand of Esau”, he recalled.

He added that there was no doubt that the country had challenges with the mode of its federal arrangement, which he believed should be restructured.

Makinde said: “If I call the Commissioner of Police today, he is going to call the Inspector-General of Police before deciding on what to do.”

But regarding the ongoing constitution review of the National Assembly, the Oyo governor said it was “a total waste of time. It was more of political aggrandisement than a sincere attempt at putting the country on the right path.”

Makinde said a similar document from the National Conference empanelled by former President Goodluck Jonathan was not implemented by the former president, before he left office.

He, therefore, called for sincerity of purpose among the Nigerian stakeholders, towards “righting the wrongs” and making the Nigerian people happy.

Originally published at Thisday