Governor Bala Muhammed of Bauchi State has said that he had no problem with the ban on open grazing but that he detests ethnic criminalisation of herders.
However, the governor said that the banning “must be done in a persuasive manner” so that it would be beneficial to the herders, farmers, and traders.
According to him, while the banning of open grazing was good, it was important for people to Know that “the baby must not be thrown away with the bad water”.
The Bauchi State governor spoke on Monday during the ongoing 2021 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association – Section on Public Interest and Development Law in Ibadan.
Noting that open grazing was a form of occupation to some ethnic groups, Mohammed said, “We, the elites, must be very careful, not to set up our people that have been living in peace against each other.
“We must guide our utterances as governors, lawyers, and every other profession.
“Disintegration can cause a lot of humanitarian crises that are unimaginable.
“We must come together and dialogue in a manner that will not aggravate the security situation in this country.”
Recall that the Southern Governors’ Forum in a recent meeting in Asaba, Capital of Delta State, banned open grazing in the Southern region of Nigeria.
The decision has been frowned out by some northern politicians including the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.