Herdsmen: Nobody roams cattle in 21st Century – Oluwo of Iwo

The Paramount Ruler and King of Iwoland, Osun State, Nigeria, Oba AbdulRasheed Adewale Akanbi, has tackled the Federal Government of Nigeria over the killings by herdsmen and the move to introduce cattle colonies across the country.
Oba Akanbi said field grazing and cattle roaming are barbaric and should be abolished at once as it does not conform to modernization and 21st century development of any country.
He made said this during a meeting with stakeholders in his palace focusing on solutions to herdsmen incessant attacks on innocent Nigerians.
He said no government that wants to move forward will encourage grazing and that there is no place in the world where government acquires land on behalf of herdsmen for the purpose of cattle grazing.
He added that the herdsmen can rent, lease or buy lands for pen/byre construction to house their cattle and that it is at the farmer’s or land owner’s discretion to sell to them.
The Oluwo said: “The herdsmen got it wrong due to lack of education towards animal farming in the 21st century.
“The alternative to grazing is pen with sufficient hay storage.
“This will help restrict the cows to the confines of the pen, which is a controlled area.
“That is how it is done in advanced countries.
“You can never see herdsmen grazing cattle in Europe.
“The herdsmen can even purchase hays to feed the cows from the farmers, thereby establishing and sustaining a peaceful affinity with farmers across Nigeria.”
Oba Akanbi advised the Federal Government that the solution to Fulani herdsmen/farmers recurring clash is proper orientation and education on modernized animal farming and not acquiring hectares of land on behalf of herdsmen as grazing zones across the federation.