Chairman of the South West Farmers Association, Mr Segun Dasaolu has declared that the best solution to the crisis between farmers and herdsmen in the region is that, there must be a clear identity of all herdsmen in the region through data capturing.
Dasaolu made this declaration while speaking during a meeting of the farmers’ association and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) held in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital on Tuesday.
The meeting, DAILY POST reports was called in order to discuss how to maintain peaceful co-existence in the geopolitical zone.
Dasaolu added that the meeting was convened to streamline the relationship between herdsmen and farmers in the zone.
He explained that the meeting was also called to strategise on how to create a data bank of all the herdsmen and farmers in order to ensure easy identification.
Dasaolu said, ‘‘The most friendly zone for herdsmen is the South West; that is why we and herdsmen hardly have any crisis as such.
‘‘We have agreed today that there must be a clear identity of every herdsman in the South West through data capturing”.
National President of MACBAN, Alhaji Mahammadu Kirowo, while speaking promised to keep to the terms of the agreement.
Kirowo said, ‘‘The association’s database will be created by the headquarters in Abuja; any other one is counterfeit.
‘‘We are peacemakers; in the South West, our herdsmen are proud of living in peace.
‘‘We don’t support any criminal act, violence or any form of evil; let us fish out the criminals in our society. We are peacemakers in our association and not perpetrators of crisis.”
The Onido of Iddo Oba Gbolagade Babalola in his remarks urged local government chairmen and traditional rulers to hold frequent meetings with herdsmen.
He also stressed on the need for herdsmen to have identification cards.
