Ban on cattle’s movement: Ohanaeze gives herders deadline to obey order

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has given herdsmen in the zone one-week ultimatum to abide by the southeast governors’ restriction order on the movement of cattle on foot.

The group in a statement signed by the National President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, lauded the governors for their commitment to ending the herdsmen/farmers clash.

“We appreciate the governors for ordering that the transportation of cattle should be solely by Lorries and not on foot. This would abolish the age long method of moving cattle around by foot.

“We hereby call on Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria to officially educate and inform all cattle breeders and herdsmen of the urgent development within one week starting from yesterday, Friday July 12, 2019. From 20th July, any person caught transgressing against the law will taste the wrath of Igbo youths,” Isiguzoro said.

He unequivocally stated that the group would not take it lightly with any herder moving around the bushes and farmland across the South East from 20th July 2019 with cattle, adding: “We also want to advice Igbo youth leaders in 95 LGAs in in the South East not to take laws into their hands but cooperate with security agents to ensure that law and order are maintained.

“We wish to remind Igbo youths and Southeast governors of the importance of planting grasses and supplying them to the cattle markets. It will be a huge business across the country. We laud the South East Governors position on the Ruga Settlement Programme and National livestock Transformation Programme which was rejected.

“We equally want to use this opportunity to advice IPOB to stop crying foul over nothing, as governors Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi are not involved in any shady deals with the herdsmen. Our independent investigation after interviews with traditional rulers,town union leaders and community-based groups, confirmed that the two governors are not Igbo saboteurs as alleged by IPOB. It’s on record that Governor Ikpeazu of Abia was the first southern governor in Nigeria to reject the Ruga Settlement project during a phone-in programme on Radio Nigeria (FRCN) Abuja on 22nd June, 2019.”

The group said it would facilitate a meeting with the leadership of Coalition of Northern groups “by early August to ensure that there’s peace in the North. We are extending hands of friendship across board, and we expect the Arewa youths will see the reason for us to jaw rather than war-war.”