The comment by Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali that the implementation of Anti-Open Grazing Law in states could lead to more violence between herdsmen and farmers has been condemned by the apex Igbo and Yoruba socio-cultural groups Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Afenifere.
After a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in company of the service chiefs, Dan-Ali had called on the states implementing the law – Benue, Taraba and Ekiti – to relax them to give peace a chance.
However, some groups have attacked the minister, accusing him of seeking to further escalate the crisis with his comment.
The spokesman of Ohanaeze, Prince Uche Achi-Okpaga, accused the defence minister of suffering from “political malnutrition” over the comment.
He said, “The Minister of Defence is suffering from political malnutrition. Because of his military background, he thinks that his pronouncements are law, without recourse to the legislative process.
“He shares the same background with the President and that is why he can make such utterances and expect Nigerians to abide by it.
“In civilised climes, some officials like the defence minister, the Chief of Army Staff, the Inspector-General of Police and others should have resigned as a result of the severe insecurity in the country.”
In the same vein, the Secretary-General of Afenifere, Chief Sehinde Arogbofa, said that the defence minister’s comment was capable of aggravate the already bad situation.
He said, “Every state has a government and every state has a right to make its laws. The minister of agriculture didn’t share that view, so if another minister is saying another thing, then it is unfortunate.
“What Dan-Ali has said is not a solution; rather, it would aggravate the problem. That means he is telling the herdsmen to go ahead with their killings and it is rather unfortunate.”