The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has called on the federal government to establish Federal Ministry for Livestock and Fisheries.
MACBAN made this call at a press conference in Damaturu, Yobe State capital presided over by its President, Alhaji Baba Usman Ngelzarma, where it censured the a bill under discussion in the National Assembly seeking creation of National Animal Husbandry and Ranches Commission for the Regulation, Management, Preservation and Control of Ranches
The latter, Ngelzarma said, is incapable of solving the prevailing problems.
According to him, ‘‘Ranching is just an aspect of livestock instead of going for ranching why can’t the president create a full-blown ministry for livestock so that all the value chain related to livestock issues can be addressed holistically by that ministry?
“Issues of production, processing, marketing, transportation even security related issues can be addressed if there is a ministry dedicated for that purpose.”
He went on to urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to implement the recommendations of the Livestock Reforms and Mitigation Committee headed by the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, set up to seek a lasting solution to the perennial farmers-herders conflict in rural areas.
‘‘We submitted the Jega’s report on Livestock Reform and Mitigation sometime last year, we are looking forward for the President to establish the implementation committee so that implementation of that report starts inanest.
‘‘Major requirement of that report is the creation of Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries so that livestock-related issues can be given due attention,” he said.
