The socio-cultural group known as Council of Yoruba Elders (CYE) in their pursuit for restructuring has, on Thursday, charged all South West State Governors on enforcement of the Anti-Grazing Law, just as the group also pledged to invest N1trillion for the establishment of cattle ranches across Yoruba speaking states.
The CYE, citing reasons why the South West State governors need to as a matter of urgency, start the enforcement of the Anti-Grazing Law in their respective states noted that such enforcement will no doubt put an end to invasion of cattle herders who always feed their cattles with the crops and farm produces of helpless farmers in Yoruba Land.
In a press statement signed by the Secretary General of CYE, Dr. Victor Taiwo, the body pledged to invest a whooping sum of N1trillion into corporate cattle farming that will be serving the entire Yoruba Land.
A copy of the statement made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, noted that such enforcement will no doubt put an end to invasion of cattle herders who always feed their cattle with the crops and farm produces of helpless farmers in Yoruba land.
Dr. Taiwo, in the statement stated that “We the Yorubas have nothing against the peace-loving Fulani people of this country, but we can no longer tolerate any further the miscreants among the herders especially those from other countries perpetrating their menace on our people. We are using this medium to compel the executive arms of the governments to enforce Anti-Grazing law with immediate effect.
“The Fulani herders should transform themselves from their archaic and primitive ways of breeding their cattle to the global norm of the ranching system. They should negotiate for land purchases from their host state governments for the ranching of their cattle.
“The bandits and the criminally-minded Yorubas that are found of kidnapping our people for rituals and ransom should know that their days are numbered within the geographical space of Yoruba land as we have instituted a high-powered security system to be coordinated by our highly respected patriot Barrister Bola Longe (AIG Rtd) and Mr. Marcus Omuiyadun (Rtd CP) is ably supported by the leaders of our various youth and security-inclined organizations.
“While we are not declaring any economic war on the people of any section of the country, we however do not know any sane society that must insist on buying a product which you can produce on your own without stress from outside source more so from the monsters who will destroy your own means of survival, kill your children and wives and cut off your arms, and you will still resort to patronizing such monsters.
“According to a well conducted, impeccable, unambiguous and verifiable research, the number of cows the Yoruba people of Yoruba Land consume on a daily basis is 24,000. Get it multiplied by 365 days it gives us 8,760,000 per annum. The financial implication is ₦984 billion per annum.
“We need to ask ourselves some questions about the cattle ranches provided for us in Yoruba Land by the late Sage Obafemi Awolowo, then we have more than enough cattle ranches that can cater for our daily consumption, then we used to have Fasola Farms Oyo in the current Oyo State on 1,200 hectares, Akunu-Akoko of now Ondo State on 8,061 hectares of farmland running through Ikakumo Ise, Auga-Akoko to Edo State boundary, Imeko in now Ogun State on 4,000 hectares, Ayedun-Ekiti (Oke Ako) now Ekiti-State on 12,000 hectares of farmland through Ikun-Ekiti, Saki in now Oyo State on over 16,000 hectares of farmland, Ibarapa farms in Oyo State on 5,000 hectares, Agege in Lagos State was not left out just as we also had the Dairy Farm in Ibadan.
“All the ranches mentioned above have gone into extinction, Where are our governors who succeeded Awolowo both old and current? Let them ascribe to themselves the praises that they think they deserve respectively, Aside from the cattle ranches bequeathed to the successive governors which have all evaporated, let our governors tell us where the various investment companies and industries Awolowo bequeathed to them are. They need to explain the factors for their deaths.
“To the effect of the above, the CYE has decided to invest, for a start, a sum of ₦1 trillion on the establishments of cattle ranches and general animal husbandry across the Yoruba states. All hands are already on the machine spinning in this direction.” Taiwo stated.
