The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), on Thursday agreed to collaborate to ensure peaceful coexistence among their members across the country.
AFAN National President, Alhaji Kabir Ibrahim and the National Secretary of MACBAN, Mr Baba Ngelzarma disclosed this while briefing newsmen shortly after a meeting between the two associations in Abuja.
Ibrahim, emphasised that consolidating agricultural growth in the country required peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders.
‘‘What we are doing here today is sensitisation and advocacy; we can reach our goals without killing our people.
‘‘In our midst today, we are happy to jointly issue the resolutions we have reached with the Miyetti Allah on the insecurity that threatens our business.
‘‘We have agreed to work together to expose the criminals from among us, to ensure peace and prosperity in Nigeria.
‘‘The real herdsmen do not carry AK 47, they do not raze down settlements, but desire peace to harness their pastoral activities,’’ he said.
Ibrahim said farmers were ready to adopt good agricultural practice as well as biotechnology in agricultural production.
Also speaking, Ngelzarma, appealed to the media to avoid issues of misrepresentation and misconception targeted at fueling the farmers/herders crisis.
‘‘We represent MACBAN, we are a peaceful association.
‘‘We have been working together with AFAN to bring peace to this country; we don’t control the entire Fulanis in Nigeria.
‘‘We only represent our registered members who are legitimate, peace-loving pastoralists doing their legitimate business of cattle rearing.
‘‘We will never support, condole any criminality, we will never be a party to it.
“That is the reason why AFAN has accepted to work together with us as collaborators to bring peace to the country,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a 14-man committee with members from the two associations was formed at the end of the meeting, to fashion out ways for sustainable peace between the herders and the farmers.(NAN)