Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, says the anti-open grazing laws signed by the Southern Governors are not implementable.
This is just as he declared that only a huge investment in the country’s education sector by the nation’s political leadership will avert the scenario in Afghanistan and stave off the deteriorating security besetting the nation, especially the northwest region.
Speaking on Tuesday at a forum tagged, ‘Human Capital Development Communications Strategy Validation Meeting’ organised by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo-led National Economic Council (NEC) in Abuja, the Kaduna State governor warned that if education was not put on the front burner by the political leaders, the scenario will not augur well in the region and will eventually become worse than the development in Afghanistan.
“I represent the Northwest zone in Human Capital Development Council and as you know our part of the country is afflicted with the highest number of out-of-school children. Some of the highest poverty rates and some of the highest dropout rates are in our schools.
“As if that is not enough, many of our schools are now closed due to the insecurity in our boarding schools, making our educational situation even worse. Our health statistics are not better. Our region is in crisis.
“We have the largest population of any geopolitical zone in the country. That is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing if we keep the population healthy, educate the children and give them skills for the future. Because, if they’re not educated and are not healthy, they feel hopeless. This is what we’re seeing with our insecurity. Most of the bandits we arrest have never gone to school. They have no notion of religion, whether Christianity or Islam, and they have no hope.”
He, however, criticised the approach adopted by his Southern colleagues in handling the open grazing crisis, insisting that the anti-open grazing law being passed by some states is not implementable.
Condemning the politicisation of the matter with what he termed ‘enactment of populist legislation by the states’, he advised his Southern counterparts not to dissipate energy on anti-open grazing laws that cannot be implemented, saying ranching and not open grazing is the solution to the ongoing farmer/herder clashes.
Speaking with newsmen after a visit to the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, he said: “The Northern Governors’ Forum has already taken a position that open grazing is not a sustainable way of livestock production.
“And we must move towards ranching, but moving towards ranching cannot be done overnight. We have to plan, we have to have resources and we have to implement it sensibly. It is not a matter of populist legislation or saying tomorrow this or that. It is not a solution.
“What is unhelpful is the politicising of the situation with legislation that you know that you cannot implement.”
Explaining steps taken by his administration to address the issue, El-Rufai said he has embarked on the construction of a ranch that will take care of over 1,500 Fulani families at the cost of N10 billion, revealing that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has supported his state with N7.5 billion out of the N10 billion required to build a ranch.
“We need billions of Naira. This is just one ranch that is costing us N10 billion. I have 14 grazing reserves in Kaduna State and I will like to convert them into ranching. Do I have 14 times N10 billion naira? I don’t.
“If the Federal Government will give me N140 billion, I will convert the other 13 into ranches and make sure that nobody comes out with a cow or sheep in Kaduna State because I will have enough ranches to take care of everybody. That is the solution.”
On the controversy surrounding the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue, he said: “We took a position in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum not to comment on the VAT issue because it is still going through the court process. And until the Supreme Court makes a final pronouncement on the matter, anything that you see today can be changed.
“Even the states that have passed legislation, the Supreme Court can override them. So, I am reluctant to comment on it. But people think that VAT is a sales tax. It is not. VAT is a special kind of tax. And there are many ways to look at it and I am sure that at the appropriate time, the NGF will look at it and take a position. But until then I am reluctant to comment on a matter that is still going through the judicial process.”
