The cost of establishing cattle colonies
Not so long after the recent carnage that claimed over eighty (80) innocent in some communities in Benue state did news about the government’s intention to establish cattle colonies across all states of the Federation started making the round. With this, I am moved to ask: Has getting away with murder become a norm in some settings, and what becomes of the group that has been implicated in the heinous execution of those defenseless citizens in Benue state?
Before I delve into the subject matter, permit me to relay a thought on the spates of violence and the response of government: some weeks back, I read of how the military claimed it had been able to ‘de-radicalize’ and freed over 200 Boko Haram members- no trials; no judgment. Upon reading that news, the thought that filled my mind was how different groups- tending to pray the ‘favor’ of the executive arm that is dominated/led by someone who is of the same extraction- from specific parts of the nation get to stir up violence in order to have their way. For instance, while the past administration was at the helm of affairs, Nigerians witnessed the onslaught of the Niger Delta militants that specialized in blowing up oil pipes and kidnapping of expatriates and now, the herdsmen seemed to have raised the bar; bringing a reign of terror to the fold…different administrations; different spates of violence and different responses. In the case of the militants, the arsenal of the military did come to the rescue and the result is there for all to see but this has not been the case with the devious herdsmen who are still roaming about freely [with their cows] even after committing a punishable offense.
Rather than bringing the herdsmen that perpetrated the killings to book, the government is making aim [on behalf of the herdsmen] to establish cattle colonies nationwide. And I ask again: Is it ethically and/or legally right for a sitting government to appease a terrorist group by acceding to its demands? This question rings out loud when it dawns on me that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces have all the military machinery needed to deal with the evil herdsmen that were responsible for the deaths of the armless people- which included children, women and men- whose hopes were taken abruptly taken away from them. More so, it is not certain that the establishment of cattle colonies will out-rightly solve the problem, and how do you resolve any other issue that arises in the future should the bloodthirsty herdsmen become increasingly dissatisfied? Probably by giving in to their demands again [until they dominate], right? This is definitely not looking good for promoting rule of law and order in the country.
Cattle colony or Ranch
According to the Cambridge dictionary, colony refers to “a group of people with a shared interest or job who live together in a way that is separate from other people” while ranch is “a very large farm in which animals are kept, especially in North and South America.”
Although the Minister of Agriculture came out to say that the two terms (that is, cattle colony and ranch) are the same but I beg to differ, and the above definitions justify my stance. Considering the droves of cattle herdsmen own, a colony is much bigger than a ranch, and while the ranch is mostly owned by an individual, a colony encompasses different individuals of ‘like minds’- a group with shared interest. Though it is said to be a cattle colony, one cannot take the herdsmen away from the cattle. Owing to this, terming the settlement a ‘colony’ could create a sense of self-governance in the minds of these herdsmen. Again, without the existence of colonies, these herdsmen have visited varying degrees of terror upon Nigerians across different states; so, will it not be easy for the devious herdsmen to carefully and strategically plan out terror attacks against the inhabitants of the communities or states they are residing- with the colony in place- should they feel aggrieved?
What exactly is the cost of cattle colonies?
Virtually all northern states except Benue and Taraba have agreed to cattle colonies in place while governors in all southern states are presently putting up strong opposition to the federal government’s proposal. But looking at it more closely; should every state in the nation eventually have a colony within its confine that would see around 180,000 hectares of the nation’s land mass being given out for cattle rearing. With this, it is quite easy to note how these cattle colonies will take a large span of land that could have been used in some other gratifying ways.
The cost of raising cattle colonies however, is really huge and is much more than the land for it is the blood of men and women whose lives were cut short: think about the pregnant woman whose baby’s life was taken away even before it began; the little child who had to endure the pain from the impact of the machete on his scalp while he breathed his last…think about the family whose loved ones were cut off in the prime and the men who now live in fear not knowing where to turn as their sources of livelihood have been taken away from them. The establishment of cattle colonies is not the way to go since the government of the day cannot assure the citizenry of its commitment to rule in fairness.
Moreover, cattle rearing are a private business, and as such the government does not need to take it upon itself to set apart lands out of the national (land) lot for the cattle rearing. Instead, the herdsmen ought to be mandated to own or get a land- ranch to be precise- for their business enterprise. The protection of lives and properties of the citizens of Nigeria- especially the defenseless- and overall national development should be the core responsibilities of the government at this critical point in time.