By Akinwale Kasali
Following the influx of Fulani Herdsmen and their heinous Activities on residents of their host communities, the Southeast governors have announced the ban on open grazing and the movement of cows by foot in the region in an effort to tackle the security challenges confronting the zone.
The Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, said that during while addressing the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abakaliki, the State Capital.
“The Governors of the southeast had banned not only open grazing, but we have also banned the movement of cows by foot into the southeast,” he said.
“In each of the five states of the southeast, we are managing ourselves very well. We have also stopped the movement of cows across communities.
“What we discussed in the southeast with the herdsmen, with the farmers is the method that has been in place for a long time before now.”
Umahi, who recently joined the APC from the Peoples Democratic Parttly, PDP, also cautioned the easterners against instigating crisis in the country through the dissemination of fake videos alleging the killing of Fulanis by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the South-East.
While noting that security is not an issue that should be politicised, Governor Umahi called on leaders of the region to create a framework that will secure the lives and properties of the people.
“What our people must know is that security is not political, what is demanded of the leaders is to put up programs that favour the people and foster national unity.
“There is a new dimension that is taking place in the southeast which is very dangerous. It is when the communities use the name of IPOB, the video and upload it to the social media and say it is IPOB that is burning the houses of herdsmen.
“It is not IPOB, it is the communities that are doing this and this is very dangerous for the Igbo man. I am talking to us as leaders,” he added.
The decision of the South East Governors to ban open grazing is coming days after Nnamdi Kanu, the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), gave the Governors a 14-day ultimatum to ban all forms of open grazing in the region in compliance with the 1969 statutory law of Nigeria.
