The Project Coordinator, Gombe State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support, Professor Usman Bello Abubakar, has expressed the project’s desire to collaborate with Agro Rangers to address the incessant conflicts between farmers and herders, adding that crises have become source of concern to stakeholders and threat to food security in the country.
Our correspondent reports that Agro Rangers is a special unit under the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps trained to provide forest security and safety against the recurring farmer-herder conflicts and protection of other Agro-allied products and investments in the nation, as it serves as mediators in conflicts prone areas.
The Project Coordinator made this known when he received a team of Agro Rangers led by its Head of Unit, Assistant Commandant of Corps Mr Emmanuel Onyeke Idoke, at the L-PRES conference room on Friday, as part of the project’s engagement with relevant stakeholders towards boosting livestock production in the state.
Abubakar explained that it was in recognition of the importance of security and peaceful co-existence for the success of both the Agriculture and Livestock sectors that the state government under the L-PRES project in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives inaugurated peace and conflict management committees across the 11 local Government areas of the state to bring an end to such conflicts which has affected output and other value chain activities in the sector.
He further lamented the arbitrary killing of livestock and destruction of farm produce in some communities which he said has impacted negatively on the deplorable food security situation in the country and urged the Agro Rangers to help consolidate the efforts made so far by the state government and pledging to collaborate with the unit in bringing lasting solutions to farmers and herders conflict in the state.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Gombe State Agro Rangers Unit Commandant, Idoke said the essence of the visit was to introduce the unit staff and discuss on a practical framework to promote peace building which is essential in curbing conflicts between farmers and herders in the state.
The Assistant Corps Commandant who commended the L-PRES Coordinator and the project team for the warm reception accorded them hinted that Agro Rangers have contributed in restoration of security in many states where banditry and kidnapping has become a threat to food security.
He further explained that more efforts will be channelled towards promotion of peaceful co-existence and use of alternative dispute resolutions to restore trust and confidence among farmers and herders and the wider society which he said would go a long way in boosting livestock and food production in the state and the country at large.
He said, “The unit will do every possible to support the L-PRES project to achieve its mandate particularly in the area of security for livestock farmers.”
Umar Baba Kumo,
Communication officer.
