By Ujah Simon, kaduna
The Southern Kaduna joint Peace Committee inaugurated by the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Rev. Monday Pam has urged farmers in the region to open all Cattle Routes as Herders Trans-humans will be returning for grazing as they approach dry season.
Co-Chairmen of the Committee, Professor Ben Gugwong and Dr. Ahmad Yande gave the advised during a courtesy visit to 12 Chiefdoms and Emirs in Southern Kaduna.
The Committee disclosed this while in Agwam Bajju Palace in Zonkwa the headquarters of Zango Kataf local government area of Kaduna State as well as the Chief Palace of Kagoro respectively in Kaura local government of Kaduna state.
The duo stressed that one of the major remote causes of the Herders/Farmers clashes that need to be immediately address is to ensure all Cattle routes are open for Fulani Herders who would be returning for grazing during the dry season.
According to them, the 10-Man committee was inaugurated to consolidate on the already peace effort built and continue to find lasting solutions to handful problems that are still existing in some parts of the region.
The committee also urged the Chiefs to help talk to their subordinates who will also assist in conscientising the local Farmers at the grass roots about the Cattle routes to ensure peace is totally restored in the areas.
“We want to go back to our normal way of life where you find it difficult to distinguish between a Fulani Man and a Bajju Man or Kagoro Man”, he said.
Dr. Yande specifically commended Agwam Bajju for the relative peace in his Chiefdom, praying that the Chiedom will continue to experience peace.
Responding, the Agwam Bajju 1, His Highness, Mal. Nuhu Bature commended the committee for their tactfulness and for working for peace in Southern Kaduna.
The Royal Highness, appealed to the Committee to help advised both the Farmers and Herders to stay away from the Kurmin B Forest which has been reserve for history.
“The Kurmin B Forest has been there before we were born for almost 400 years and we must not allow it to be tempered with,” Nuhu Bature said.
Similarly, the Chief of Kagoro, Mr. Afuwei Bonet said without peace there is no human existence, adding we must all work for peace and consider humanity first as we all came from the same God.
He further explained that one of the major problem of the Farmers/Herders is the under-age Children who are seen grazing and do not have the capacity to control Cows, calling on the Fulani Herders to always ensure a matured person is attach to the underage Children whenever they’re going for grazing.
The monarch noted that most of them Schooled in Zaria were they visited Mosques, while the Muslims visited their Churches and no one’s religion was ever been insulted.
He blame the current security challenges that have grappled the country on modern education and politics, stressing that if the political class play a clean politics everything will work for everybody.
The committee is expected to finish its mandate on Friday and to handover their reports to Governor Nasir el-Rufai for implementation.
