While a constitutional lawyer, Madubuachi Idam sees Tinubu’s decision as a duplication of ministries and engaging in wastage, the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF, as well as Afenifere and its Ohanaeze Ndigbo counterpart believed the initiative is a welcomed development that would put an end to the long-standing farmers-herders crisis.
Tinubu created the ministry 10 months after he approved the establishment of the presidential committee on Livestock to address the herders and farmers’ clashes and bolster the livestock and dairy industries.
He set up the committee after receiving a report from the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts in Nigeria chaired by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Ganduje.
Over the years, there has been a lingering crisis between farmers and herders across Nigeria, a situation that has led to the loss of lives and properties worth millions.
States like Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Enugu, Imo, Delta, Kaduna, Oyo, among others have been adversely affected by the endless crisis.
But, assuring that the newly created ministry would resolve the long-standing crisis, Tinubu said during the inauguration: “Who says the solution is far? I say, ‘No, the solution is here.’ Majority of you have great experience and you want Nigeria to prosper.
“To enable Nigeria to finally take advantage of livestock farming, we have seen the solution and opportunity for this adversity that has plagued us over the years and I believe the prosperity is here in our hands.”
The President said Nigerians could now look forward to “maintaining the quality and safety of these perishable goods from farm to market thereby reducing food waste and ensuring a stable supply”.
Activist lawyer, Madubuachi Idam described the Ministry of Livestock Development as a duplication of ministries which would lead to wastage of funds at a time when Nigerians are experiencing hardship.
Stressing that the ministry was needless, Idam said it should have been fused into the Ministry of Agriculture because the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service under the latter can sufficiently handle issues regarding Livestock.
Speaking, he said: “Without gimmicks, I will tell you that it’s grossly a duplication of actions, needless duplication of ministries. It’s a pure waste of public resources.
“The Ministry of Agriculture which has an agency called Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service can sufficiently handle every issue regarding livestock management, and herders-farmers issues.
“In fact, I can tell you that there is no reason the president should engage in the creation of a ministry called Livestock Development when the Ministry of Agriculture is in existence.
“What’s the need for this ministry? What’s the rationale behind it? I can tell you that Nigerians should be worried about using this ministry by persons manning it to grab land from farmers, to acquire and dominate Nigerians.”
The Abuja-based activist lawyer noted that the creation of a new ministry was not the panacea to the lingering crisis, stressing that the government lacked the willpower to resolve the crisis.
He disclosed that the crisis would end when the Federal government chose not to allow pastoralists to invade farmlands with their cattle.
Idam added: “The problem of Nigeria today with respect to the farmers-herders crisis is not the absence of a ministry to take care of the crisis.
“It’s the absence of the willpower and the right knowledge to manage the differences, the yearnings coming from farmers. The issue is simple, don’t allow pasturists to use their business to invade farmers’ lands.
“It’s not about if there is an agency or ministry that will conveniently take care of the differences between these two people, it’s whether the right people have what it takes, and possess the right knowledge to take care of this crisis between farmers and herders.
“So, the creation of another ministry to take care of them is a needless waste of resources because it’s not necessary.”
The lawyer further stressed that creating the Ministry of Livestock Development had shown that Tinubu was surrounded by the wrong set of people.
He called on the Federal Government to engage traditional rulers and religious leaders in the move to resolve the farmers-herders crisis.
“The traditional rulers, and religious leaders in different parts of Nigeria can be engaged and people have clamoured that these people should be engaged in resolving this crisis, it’s not about a separate ministry different from the ones in existence. In fact, what are all the ministries in Nigeria doing?
“The creation of the ministry requires funding, whereas the issue here is not funding but tackling the crisis between herders and farmers, so if you create a ministry now and charge them with the responsibility of settling this crisis, it will require that the minister have an office and budgetary allocation to function.
“So, it’s not necessary at this time. What is necessary is that the president should make use of the Ministry of Agriculture through the Agency of Nigerian Agricultural and Quarantine Agency.
“I will tell you that the decision to create the Livestock ministry is grossly ill-advised and I can tell you that the president has confirmed my suspicion that he’s not surrounded by people who have the technical knowledge to tackle the problem of Nigeria.
“He may need to look beyond his cabinet because it appears they are not advising him properly. This is not necessary at this time, the Ministry of Agriculture can conveniently take care of it,” he added.
On his part, the National President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, Yerima Shettima said the creation of the new ministry was an indication that Tinubu’s administration has something to offer Nigerians.
Shettima, who described the initiative as a welcome development, expressed the hope that the new ministry will curtail the lingering farmers-herders crisis.
Speaking, Shettima said: “For us in the Northern part of the country, we are glad to hear about the creation of a new ministry for Livestock and it’s a clear indication that the government has something to offer the farmers and herders and it will curtail the issue between them.
“At least, somebody should be responsible for checking the excesses and also come up with a policy that would mediate between the farmers and the herders.
“I do not think it’s right to put the new ministry under the Ministry of Agriculture, because for over two decades, we have not seen any result.
“If this will bring about peace and development which is all we want, then I don’t think it’s too big for the government to do.
“With this ministry, we will be able to hold whoever is saddled with the responsibility to resolve the crisis, saying ‘look you are not doing enough or do better’.
“Don’t forget that the responsibility in the Ministry of Agriculture is so high overtime that some of them have seen a lot of lapses.
“So, whoever brought this idea, I think it’s a welcomed development for us because it will bring positive changes. For me, I commend the government for its courage so far.”
However, the Director of Media and Strategy of MACBAN in Kaduna State, Ibrahim Bayero Zango said the ministry will gradually resolve the crisis between farmers and herders.
Zango countered the claims that the ministry is a waste of resources.
He said: “The ministry will resolve the crisis between farmers and herders but not immediately as people would perceive it.
“The Federal Government has neglected the livestock sector for a very long time.
“With the creation of this ministry, it will minimize the crisis gradually and at the end of the day, it will be reduced to the barest minimum.
“If the government can properly fund and equip the ministry, a lot will be achieved. So many grazing reserves have been abandoned, if only the government can resuscitate and develop them, mind you, some of these abandoned grazing reserves are gazetted while others are not.
“All the Federal grazing reserves should be taken over by the government. Recall that Obasanjo’s government handed over the grazing reserves to the state governments by the year 2000.
“Now, this ministry will take over the Federal grazing reserves and allow states to handle their own reserves.
“I don’t agree that the creation of the Livestock Ministry is a waste of resources, if you can establish the Ministry of Sports while spending money on it without any benefit other than winning, then this is valuable.
“If you go to a tournament and lose, what happens to the money spent? How will the government recoup the money spent?
“But with this Ministry of Livestock in place, there will be so many benefits that will touch on even mothers because they will have enough milk to consume. We will be getting natural milk, healthy beef.”
Commenting, factional Secretary-General of Ohanaeze, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the Ministry of Livestock Development would curtail the continued crisis between farmers and herders.
Isiguzoro said the ministry was part of efforts to appease Northern opposition, adding that it will empower and regulate activities of herders.
He said: “Politically, it’s the version of the ministry of Nigeria Delta and it’s to appease the Fulani and the North on how the government will empower and regulate the activities of Miyetti Allah groups.
“You can see the reaction of the Miyetti Allah groups jubilating and sending huge signals that this was really what the North has been looking for.
“It’s one of the best ways to appease the opposition against the Federal Government. By this situation, Tinubu is already having an inroad towards the North for his 2027 ambition or reelection.
“Economically and otherwise, the Ministry will help to curtail the excesses of the killer herdsmen across the middle belt to the Southeast.”
Isiguzoro also countered claims that the Ministry of Livestock Development is a duplication.
He added: “It’s the prerogative of Mr President to know the reasons there is a Livestock Ministry different from that of Agriculture.
“He has a clear sign of what to achieve; the Ministry of Agriculture has been there but never addressed the clash between killer herders and farmers all these while.
“So, for Ohanaeze, it’s not a duplication but a direct solution to the Ministry of Agriculture’s shortcomings.
“The Minister of Agriculture has not performed; in fact, he should be sacked. The Ministry of Agriculture has not proffered any solution to the hunger in Nigeria.
“I believe Mr President has reasons for creating this Ministry from that of Agriculture.
“It’s the same reason the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs was created from that of Woman Affairs and Social Services. Every president has the right to create a ministry that would address the situation of the country.
“So to us, it’s not a duplication, moreover, we call for such a duplication to address the situation in the Southeast like Biafra agitation.
“Why can’t Tinubu create a ministry that will address the insecurity and violent agitation caused by the marginalization of previous governments against the people of the Southeast. This will help him to win support in the Southeast in 2027.
The Yoruba pan-sociocultural organization, Afenifere said that any step that will put a permanent stop to attacks on farmers by herders is welcomed for as long as such a step does not compromise the interest and integrity of the local people and their land.
When contacted, Afenifere’s spokesman, Comrade Jare Ajayi, said the organization does not see the action of Mr. President as a move to please or displease any section of the country “but as a move to solve a problem that has been causing a lot of tensions in the land”.
Ajayi said: “President Bola Tinubu was quoted as saying that the creation of the Ministry and the inauguration of the Livestock Committee are to, among others, put a stop to herders/farmers clashes and boost agricultural economy.
“By making himself Chairman of the Committee and Professor Attahiru Jega as co-chair, it is taken that the President attaches a lot of importance to the proposed Ministry and the proposed Committee”.
Ajayi went further to say that ordinarily, creation of a new government agency would be considered as inappropriate at a time that the federal government is thinking of reducing the size of government through the implementation of Oronsaye Report.
He noted that, “incidentally, the government acknowledged this as reflected in the alibi given by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
“The Minister had said that the benefits inherent in the creation of the new Ministry outweighs the thinking that its creation would be against the ‘administration’s cost-cutting measure in government’.
Ajayi observed that the thinking in government was probably informed by the failure of the Ten-Year Livestock Transformation Plan that was launched in 2019.
“The Plan was designed to curtail movement of cattle, boost livestock production, stop cattle rustling and halt herders-farmers’ clashes. But the Plan did not see the light of the day.
“There is no doubt that the failure of the Plan has led to, in large part, escalation in herders/farmers clashes and dearth of meat and dairy products,” he said.
On the anticipated benefits of the proposed Ministry, the Afenifere spokesman quoted the President as saying that: “Traditional livestock system must be reformed to add significant and sustainable value to Nigeria’s social economic growth and development.
“Ordinarily, there are relevant departments within the existing Ministry of Agriculture to take care of what the proposed Ministry is being designed for, especially at this time that there is the imperative need to reduce costs of governance.
“But then, if this is the path that the government wants to tread, it can go ahead.
“But it must ensure that the announced objectives are achieved. Notwithstanding, the government must continue with the implementation of Oronsaye Report.”