The National Secretary of MACBAN, Baba Ngelzarma, made the call in his remark during the delegation of the association’s courtesy visit to the National leadership of CAN on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ngelzarma said that the cattle breeders association sought partnership with CAN to demonstrate its desire toward peace and mutual resolution of the lingering conflicts.

“MACBAN wishes to request the partnership of CAN in uniting the different religious groups in the country for peaceful resolution of the farmers-herders conflicts.

“We should unite against hatred and support all government initiatives toward solving the conflict.”

He said that MACBAN acknowledged the increasing tension between farmers and its members in the last five years due to scarcity of pasture over grazing reserve as a result of climate change.

Ngelzarma said that MACBAN was duly aware of the effort by the Federal Government in conjunction with state governors to address the farmers-herders conflicts through the 10-year National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) 2019 to 2028.

He said that the association had embraced the plan fully and had already trained her national and state executives on negotiation, peace building and conflicts prevention in preparation for the plan.

The national secretary said that MACBAN recognised the need to partner government to modernise livestock production as proposed in the NLTP.

“We believe the 10 years plan will guarantee efficient time for pastoralists to learn new techniques of Livestock production.

“MACBAN will require that government implements the plan as designed in order to assist the pastoralists through proper extension services and training over the plan period to properly learn how to manage livestock efficiently.

“Both MACBAN and the umbrella body of farmers, AFAN, benefited in training organised by the Presidency on peace-building and conflict resolution.

Ngelzarma said that MACBAN also looked forward to more engagement with CAN as a body and other stakeholders in the Nigerian project.

“We seek the cooperation of CAN to be part of our National Campaign to reorient our youth to fear the Almighty, inculcate values of hardwork, empathy and being our brothers keeper irrespective of their faith.”

He said that pastoralists had lived peacefully for ages with different nationalities and had learned to resolve their quarrels peacefully.

He, however, noted that the media were making it look like the pastoralists were perpetually at war with other communities.

“Like all other communities we have our bad eggs and we have not relented in fishing them out all across the country.

“We have been to Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Katsina, Oyo and now Zamfara to assist in resolving conflicts with our members.

“We are grateful with the level of understanding and cooperation we have received from the state governments in resolving some of these security issues.”

He said that as part of effort to address the farmers-herders conflicts, MACBAN had resolved to embark on a number of stakeholder engagements which it began with the leadership of CAN.

The engagements according to him include a summit that would involve people from all walks of live as well as multiple engagements with the media at various levels across the country.

Ngelzarma, who condemned the killing of Mrs Funke Olakunri, the daughter of Pa Reuben Fasoranti, the leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, urged Nigerians to desist from politicising the killing.

He also urged Nigerians to desist from dressing it in ethnic garb and allow the security to do its work.

“We are also reaffirming our call on the Police and other security agencies to do all they can to get to the root of this dastardly killing and ensure diligent prosecution of any individual or group found to have had a hand in the incident.”

Ngelzarma said that MACBAN as a responsible association did not condone criminals and criminalities within or outside the association but ever willing to assist the security in ensuring peace reigned.

He denied the allegation on the social media that the association donated N3 billion to a candidate of a political party in Akwa Ibom in exchange for the establishment of cattle colonies in the state.

In his response, the National Chairman of CAN, Rev. Supo Ayokunle, urged all Nigerians to be prayerful for the plan of the devil for the country not to be achieved.

“I will urge all of us to be prayerful because I see the devil at work, provoking men to do things that are very odd, things that for years ago you cannot think can happen in Nigeria.

“Devil is at work and it will make us to be fighting ourselves. If we are not careful we with not be able to chase him out.

“It is with our collectivity that we can chase the devil away.”

Ayokunlec commended MACBAN for the call for collaboration, pledging that CAN would discuss the proposal and get back to the association.

“We have received your move with appreciation, we will sit down articulate it to be well informed on all these proposal you have raised,” he said.

Also at the event was the National President of MACBAN, Muhammadu Kirowa, and other national leaders of both CAN and MACBAN.

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The President, CAN Dr Samson Ayokunle, made the promised in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji on Monday in Abuja.

Ayokunle, who commended MACBAN for its peace initiative, promised to work with the leadership of the association in the quest for peace and stability of Nigeria.

The National Secretary of MACBAN, Othman Ngadzarna had led the delegation of the association to congratulate CAN president on his victory for the second term.

CAN president urged the leadership of the Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to protect the image of President Muhammadu Buhari by exposing the criminal Fulani herdsmen in the country.

According to him, major problem is lack of leadership. We don’t have leadership that builds life but such that destroys life.

“Nigeria needs a detribalised leader, who will pick the best across all divides that will help him to govern the entire nation well.

”The leadership of CAN is not attacking President Muhammadu Buhari on religious ground.

”All we are asking the government for is to be more responsible and responsive to the yearning of the people of Nigeria, irrespective of their faith, ethnic background and political leaning.

”For example government should be able to provide basic amenities for the people as it is being done in other climes and security challenges must be addressed holistically,” he said.

Ayokunle said that good governance will surely change the current disturbing narrative, there is no reason why the criminals amidst us should not be brought to book.

”Now that you have said it is not all herdsmen that belong to MACBAN, then your association should stop justifying the atrocities being perpetrated by those criminals.

“The criminal herdsmen are giving the President bad name and the only way this can be stopped is by exposing those criminals that are carrying gun around, maiming and killing the innocent people.

”President Buhari is Fulani like you people and the best thing you can do for him is by exposing those criminals. This will make Nigerians not to reject another Fulani man who may want to rule,” he added.

He cited few instances to condemn the criminal herdsmen who are attacking and killing innocent people, saying “most of those who are angry with the Fulani herdsmen do not just hate them but they have been victims of attacks by suspected criminal herders.”

Ngadzarna said that MACBAN seeked for a date when leadership of MACBAN could come to hold dialogue with CAN leadership in their ongoing dialogue with stakeholders in the country.

He explained to Rev. Ayokunle that all the criminals pretending to be herdsmen were not their members.

”Those carrying AK-47 around are cattle rustlers who came from outside the country are capitalising on the porosity of our borders,” he said.

He also disclosed that there is another group of herdsmen who share same name with them, adding “they were also registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

Ngadzarna further disclosed that the feud between the pastoralists and farmers were as a result of climate change, increase in population, illiteracy, cattle rustling and failure of government to address their needs.

He, however, noted that until of recent, the government had not deemed it fit to look into the root cause of the feud, adding that most of the negative stories making the rounds about MACBAN were fake news.

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