By Amos Tauna
Gan Allah Fulani Deveploment Association, GAFDAN, has alleged that from 1999 to the ongoing crisis between herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria, 2.7 million Fulanis have died and 2.3 million cattle lost.
GAFDAN Secretary General, Alhaji Sale Bayari, while presenting a paper at a policy dialogue on Ranching under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held in Kaduna, northwrst Nigeria, Thursday under the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, said, ”Government has not strongly confronted the problem which is now leading to national delineation and anarchy in the land.”
He noted that it was unfortunate that cattle Routes and Grazing Reserves Commission Bill sponsored by Senator Zainab Kure in 2011 was stalled after second reading at the National Assembly.
After that he said, nothing was done as status by both the executive and the lawmakers to enforce for the creation, sustenance or maintenance of the country
According to him, the fear was that without such laws, local, national and international laws may be breached thereby creating constitutional and legal crisis that may lead to national crisis.
“For example, the Nigerian constitution provides freedom of movement and settlement under chapter 1V, section 41, the EC0WAS protocols on freedom of movement, Residence and Establishment in the territory of members is there to be enforced legally,“ he observed.
The Secretary General explained that the United Nation s charter of December 10 1998, under the Universal Declaration of Human Right provides for freedom of movement under Article 13.
According to him: “These international laws restricted power and ability of any government all over the globe to treat human beings as they like or deem it fit.”