By Abigael Joshua
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the FCT has promised that no cow will be seen loitering the streets of Abuja, during the Presidential inauguration on May 29.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mrs Janet Peni, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) Deputy Director information on Wednesday in Abuja.
The Chairman of MACBAN, FCT chapter, Alhaji Usman Muhammad said “we will help to ensure that no cow is seen loitering the citycentre before the big day.
“It is our culture to receive a visitor in a very clean and tidy environment and in this case, the in-coming Government is the visitor.
“We promise to clear and clean the city for a government that we elected,”.
Muhammad said the meeting is not only timely but it is strategic because it provided the opportunity for their concerns to be brought to the attention of the FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Bello.
He recalled that they held a meeting with the FCT Minister and some investors from Dubai, that showed interest on investing in improved cattle rearing in the FCT for greater profit.
According to him, this portends potential for generating revenues for both the FCT Administration and the local cattle rearers and also to introduce herders to modern methods of cattle rearing.
He expressed optimism to get a feedback from the FCT Administration on the way forward.
The chairman appealed to the incoming government to come to their aid, as cattle rustling remains a big threat, stating that over 300 cows were stolen from his blood brother recently.
Also speaking, Alhaji Adamu Rabo, chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) branch of the association promised to immediately take the message to every herder in his domain on the need to cooperate with the Government to ensure that the inauguration is peacefully and successfully done, in a tidy and neat environment.
He assured that a message would be convened to herders not to allow their cows graze on the streets of FCT.
Rabo appealed to the FCT minister to urgently provide grazing areas to herders in the FCT where they can immediately relocate their cows to, for a lasting solution.
In his opening remarks, Director AEPB, Mr Osi Braimah, stated that the meeting was meant to rob minds with leaders of Miyetti Allah cattle breeders association, FCT Chapter on finding a lasting solution to the intractable problem of cattle grazing in the FCT.
“As we all know that cattle grazing in the FCT is against the law, and in a bid to resolve the problem, quarterly meetings are held to address the matter.
“It is more pressing now, because soonest the entire world will be focused on not just Nigeria, but on Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, the venue of the inauguration of Nigeria’s President-elect.
“The inauguration which will host over 47 Presidents and heads of states and other important dignitaries across the globe, hence the need to keep the city very clean and to ensure that no cow is seen grazing in the FCT and its environs,” Braimah noted.
He said that they have all arrived at a resolution and gotten the assurances of both the chairman of the FCT chapter and the chairman of AMAC branch of the association not to loiter the FCT with cows.
He also warned that any herder seen flouting the law would be arrested with their cattle by a combined team of AEPB enforcement officers and law enforcement agencies like the Police and the rest, already on ground.
The AEPB director revealed that AEPB is doing its best to keep the city very clean in preparation for the inauguration and beyond, keeping to the very high standards it has set for itself and justifying the tremendous support given to it by the FCT Minister. (NAN)
