Buhari’s govt has provided solution to farmers-herdsmen clashes – Garba Shehu

President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has been the only regime in the history of Nigeria to provide workable solutions to farmers-herders clash, according to Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President.

Shehu who made this assertion on Friday while presenting a paper at the 10th year anniversary of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, said only President Buhari has demonstrated the political will to tackle the recurring herdsmen/farmers clashes in the country since independence.

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In the paper titled “Fake news: Challenges of information management,” Shehu said:

“The Buhari administration is the only government of Nigeria that has put forward a workable solution to the herder-farmer challenge in all the years since independence.

“The threat to civilians and peaceful co-existence between different ethnic and religious groups from farmer-herders clashes, banditry and land disputes are of serious concern to the Buhari government.

“It is incorrect, however, to assert that the government has or is doing nothing to address the threats.

“Firstly, there are ongoing efforts for the establishment of cattle ranches to prevent or curtail open grazing, the practice that brings herders and farmers into conflict.

“This is an age-old problem facing Nigerian Governments since the colonial days. However, matters of land distribution are dealt with at state level.

“This means willingness has to be shown by state governors to drive the process forward. The Federal government launched a plan last year to work with states to address these issues together.

“Unfortunately, this has been lacking in some states and with regards to the long and determined battle waged against Boko Haram, Nigerians are aware of the efforts made by this government.

“When the government came to power, the terrorist group held and administered an area the size of Belgium. Now they hold none. The terrorists are hiding out amongst remote forests and across borders.

“This makes it difficult to extinguish the final flames of the insurgency, and the government has no illusions of the potent threat still posed.

“Recent statistics have shown that over 14,500 Boko Haram members have voluntarily surrendered.

“However, the progress made cannot be denied. In the face of rising crime and insecurity, the government’s new community policing initiative was launched.”