Herdsmen Issue Warning To Tinubu, Atiku, Obi

Fulani socio-cultural group, Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria, (KACRAN), has said that presidential candidates risk losing bloc votes of they fail to incorporate livestock programmes in their policies.

The group lamented that herders are ignored when it comes to national policies despite their contribution to the country.

KACRAN’s National President, Hon. Khalil Mohd Bello, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen.

It read, “Most politicians, with the exception of very few States, are neither mindful nor concerned with the vital role played by the livestock sector towards creating millions of job opportunities for our youths and people whose livelihood fully depend on pastoral occupation.

“KACRAN noticed that it is only through the creation of the Federal Ministry of Animal resources that herders’ problems and daily pressing needs related to water points or animal feed during the dry period will be adequately taken care of.

“The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is fully charged with numerous responsibilities that cannot allow it to fully incorporate livestock development in its yearly or daily programs, hence necessitating our appeal for the creation of a special Ministry for Animal Resources.

“Most of the money given to the said Ministry is always spent on the development of arable farming to the detriments of Fisheries and livestock sectors”, Khalil said.

The National President, who felicitated with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar; Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso and Peter Obi, the presidential candidates of APC, PDP, NNPP and LP, respectively for their emergence as candidates of their parties, also called on them to incorporate livestock development in their policies and programs during their campaign exercises.

“We want our politicians to note that we have millions of herders who have their PVCs at hand and are ready to cast them to candidates of their choice, more especially the ones who they noticed care about their interest and general survival.

“KACRAN also wants to draw the attention of our presidential and gubernatorial candidates that pastoralists’ block votes, especially in the Northern part of this country or at a highly competitive presidential level, will help one to clinch power”, he claimed.