President Muhammadu Buhari has told state governors to liaise with traditional rulers in their respective states in order to find lasting solution to the farmers-herders crisis in the states.
Buhari made the recommendation during a prerecorded exclusive interview with Channels Television, monitored by THE WHISTLER on Wednesday.
The president was responding to a question on if he thinks state police or regional security networks such as the Amotekun and Ebebuagu were possible solutions to the problem of insecurity in the country
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But responding, Buhari said: “The role of traditional rulers must not be undermined, because in their areas they know who is who, even by families, not to even talk of individuals.
“So, we have to revert to that system for us to have effective security in the localities.”
President Buhari recalled that he had pointedly told Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to engage with traditional rulers in his state when the latter ran to him over constant clashes between herdsmen and farmers in in the state.
“For example, there were two Governors that came to see me about problems – Oyo state and one other state – because the herders were in their forests and the animals were going into the neighbouring farms, and eating the crops; I said, as far as I know, the farmers and herders have been co-existing in Nigeria for generations. Let them go and ask the local leadership what has gone wrong, why the break in communication between the local leadership and the herders,” said the president.
Buhari stressed that governors must “go and ask the local leadership what has gone wrong, why the break in communication between the local leadership and the herders.”
The president further ruled out state police as possible solution to the security challenges facing the country, saying: “State police is not an option. Find out the relationship between local government and the Governors. Are the third tier of government getting what they are supposed to get constitutionally? Are they getting it? Let the people in local government tell you the truth, the fight between local governments and the Governor.”