Farmers/Herders Disputes: Senate Poised To Debate On It Tuesday

Following the raging crises that have enveloped the country following ceaseless blood letting between farmers and Fulani Herdsmen, in a bid to seek a way out of the woods, the Senate will on Tuesday debate the clashes.

Yahaya Abdullahi, the leader of the Senate disclosed this on Monday while addressing journalists at his office in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

He said his deputy, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, who represents Ondo North in the National Assembly, will come up with a motion on the issue.

While noting that local political leaders should be encouraged to find a lasting solution, Abdullahi said the Federal Government has a role to play in resolving the crisis.

“With some kind of ethnic colouration of the herders/farmers clashes, urgent attention are required at various levels of government to prevent them from further escalation,” he said.

“These are kind of crises that must be addressed promptly and squarely in preventing ethnic entrepreneurs from hijacking the whole situation and putting the country in danger.

“There are existential issues that have set communities that have hitherto lived together peacefully, against each other either for political advantage or political matters.

“I think these are issues that should be resolved at the local level either through dialogue anchored on the spirit of give and take.”

The lawmaker said the Senate is worried by the security threats in the country, including armed banditry and Boko Haram insurgency.

He warned that if the issue remains unabated, there can’t be development where there is no peace.

On Senate confirmation of the ex-service chiefs as ambassadors, Abdullahi said the Senate would mandate its Committee on Foreign Affairs to deliberate on the issue.

“Communications for the confirmation would be read hopefully by the Senate president tomorrow and whatever happen we will pass it on to the committee on foreign affairs and then the committee on foreign affairs will now do its deliberation.

“I am not one under this situation to pre-empt whatever the committee is going to decide because the committee is made up of several responsible and experienced senators who have also been ambassadors themselves so they will know exactly what are required for people to be appointed as ambassadors to represent the country in whatever country.

“As leader of the Senate this will be brought to the floor of the Senate. The committee will do its work and after that they will bring the report to the Senate. I am sure all the questions will not escape the committee,” he added.