Lagos – A don, Prof. Isa Funtua, has urged the Federal Government to provide victims of cattle rustling in parts of the country with grazing reserves to alleviate their suffering.
Funtua, who is the Vice-Chancellor, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.
He said that the cattle farmers also needed to be provided infrastructure to encourage them to live a sedentary life
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“They have been losing a lot of animals, through the traditional practices and on a continuous basis they keep on losing these animals.
“For most of them that is the only thing they know, no experience in farming, trading or any other things and the economic dislocations really led to so many frustrations.
“And trying to eke a living out of almost nothing; so I think that is one of the issues.
“An uneducated, unenlightened cattle farmer realizing within a short period that he has lost everything decides to take somebody else’s cattle.
“This is largely also aided by the availability of arms around from the conflicts in the West African region.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
“The government needs to be involved; these things need to be harnessed.
“And really one of the things is to introduce some sedentary form of living for them because economically they are losing and the nation is losing.
“Some grazing reserves really need to be provided and then infrastructure be provided for them.’’
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NAN reports that cattle rustling in parts of the country has lingered on in spite of government’s efforts at addressing the situation. (NAN)
