Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has warned cattle rearers whose animals destroy farm crops to desist from such acts or face dire consequences.
Dr Uduaghan who gave this warning at the 20th Annual session of the Delta State Baptist Conference in Oghara while reacting to complaints from farmers of the massive destruction of their crops by cattle said the land owners who rent their lands to Fulani cattle rearers for grazing should desist forthwith or face severe penalty. He noted that the ugly incident if not checked could cause hostility between the communities and the cattle rearers.
The Governor assured the people that measures would be taken to deal with the problem explaining that a meeting of the leaders of the Fulani cattle rearers and the state government would be convened soon to check the ugly trend.
“It is very wrong for cattle rearers to allow their cattle go into people’s farmland to graze and destroy the crops. Those land owners who rent their lands to Fulani cattle rearers to graze their cattles should stop it or they will be punished,” he said.
Responding the Chairman of Ethiope West Local Government Area, Hon. Precious Adjaino told the Governor that he had severally warned the cattle rearers to ensure that their cattle stay clear from people’s farmlands in the area to no avail. He explained that his effort to stop the cattle rearers from allowing their cattle destroy crops was frustrated by some land owners who rented their lands to them.
According to him “I have tried my best to talk with the cattle rearers on several occasion on this issue but my effort was being frustrated by land owners who rent their lands to them for grazing their cattle,” he said.
Reacting to a question on the poor quality of some government projects, Governor Uduaghan urged contractors in the state to execute projects according to specification and schedule.
He said government have put measures in place to check corruption and appealed to religious organizations not to celebrate persons with questionable character.
Speaking further, the governor promised to look into the cases of Nurses having promotion issues and primary school teachers yet to get their promotion arrears..
In a welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the Delta State Baptist Conference and Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, Delta State, Rev. Gideon Oyibo commended Governor Uduaghan for his infrastructure developmental efforts.
He however decried the poor attitude of some contractors in executing government projects adding that such projects should be monitored independently.
Rev. Oyibo appealed to the state government to include private schools in the payment of WAEC and NECO examination fees.
