Fulani Herdsmen have become a nuisance to the Nigerian society and a major threat to the peace, stability and unity of Nigeria. It is high time we tackle this problem head-on and get rid of it once and for all. I believe these ideas when implemented will bring about a permanent solution to the Fulani Herdsmen crisis in Nigeria.
The attack by Fulani herdsmen has elicited negative reactions from Nigerians. especially with the recent one in Enugu. However, Different ethnic groups have reacted to it differently with a hint of sentiment.
The incessant attack by Fulani herdsmen which has claimed hundreds of life is increasingly becoming a source of worry With the way they invaded communities,killing scores of local residents. Churches were burnt and houses were razed. And Nigerians have taken to social media to express concern over this menace because many are wondering if those attacking communities are really fulani herdsmen or Boko Haram terrorists in disguise and they want the Fulani herdsmen to be treated as terrorists.
However, before I proceed, we have to look at why the crisis persist and why it will not be solved easily.
(1)Corruption: Some high ranking officials in the police and army might want to take advantage of the crisis to make money. Remember the “arms deal scandal?”
(2)Late response from the Federal Government to tackle the issue promptly. This is exactly how Boko Haram crisis started before it grew into a huge monster.
(3)Ethnic/Tribal resistance: If the government decides to deal ruthlessly with Fulani herdsmen, some Fulani leaders might start revolting.
(4)The lackadaisical attitude of the police to handle the crisis promptly. News flying all over the media reports that the police had pre-information about the plan of the herdsmen to attack the Enugu community but they did nothing to stop it.
(5)Little or No Value for Human Life: It is obvious that the Federal Government, both the executive and legislative and our politicians does not value human lives. This is the ultimate reason why Fulani Herdsmen crisis will persist.
We cannot successfully deal with this crisis until we deal with the factors that makes it persists and will make any attempt to solve the problem fail. The armed forces, especially the police need to be more patriotic in their service to the nation both the executive and legislative arm of the Federal Government need to be more proactive in solving potential national issues. We have to stop waiting until issues spiral into full scale war before we act as a government. We must value human lives more than the lives of cows. This is the ultimate determinant whether we will solve this crisis or not. If our government continues to place little value on human lives, we will never solve this Fulani Herdsmen crisis.
How to permanently solve the Fulani Herdsmen crisis in nigeria as soon as possible
(1). EMERGENCY RANCHING PROGRAM: The Federal Government in collaboration with all 36 state governors should start a National Emergency Ranching program for all cattle owners in all 36 states. The lands for the ranches can be gotten through a Rent-To-Own mortgage system.
(2). NATIONWIDE CURFEW ON CATTLE MOVEMENT: As part of the temporal measures to solve the crisis, the Federal Government should impose a National Curfew on Cattle Movement across the nation. No cattle should move or be transported to or from any part of Nigeria between the hours of 6pm and 7am. This will help curb the present menace as most of the atrocities happen at night.
(3).DEALING WITH THE HERDSMEN: The herdsmen need to be educated and re-oriented in order to have a paradigm shift and thus come to the understanding, acceptance and realization that human lives are more important than cattle lives. They must be taught to know how to handle conflicts, that they should report any case of stolen cattle to the police and not by killing innocent people in a community.
(4).BORDER COMMUNITY POLICING: Nigeria is a victim of terrorism today because of poor National border control and zero border policing. Nigeria is also experiencing reckless killings by Fulani Herdsmen because of poor inter-State border control and policing. The armed forces, in collaboration with the Border Communities Development Agency should set up a border control unit both inter-State and National Borders.
Great ideas don’t make great nations but great decisions do. If these ideas are implemented, we will successfully end the Fulani Herdsmen crisis and Boko Haram crisis. It’s a template that can solve both problems at the same time.
Looking forward to a better Nigeria.
God bless Nigeria.
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