NAN-HE-2
Colonies
By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
Lagos, Feb. 22, 2018 (NAN) An economist, Prof. Sheriffdeen Tella, on Thursday decried the Federal Government’s plan to establish cattle colonies
to address the incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen.
He said that the plan was uncalled for since cattle rearing was a private business.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reported that the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, recently announced Federal Government’s plans to establish cattle colonies to stop clashes of herdsmen and farmers in parts of the country.
Ogbeh made the disclosure at a recent two-day ‘2018 Strategic Retreat’ organised by Synergos for special advisers and directors in the federal ministry of Agriculture in Abuja.
Tella, a Professor of Economics in Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun, advised that the Federal Government should not waste resources on such colonies.
He told NAN that since land ownership resided with state government based on the existing Land Use Act, cattle owners as businessmen like any other business, should acquire land from either government or individual land owners for ranches.
“If someone wants to put up an estate or hotel, he buys the land from the state government or landowners, gets a certificate of occupancy and builds his estate or hotel.
“So, cattle owners should do the same; pay appropriate rent and make sure they pay property tax and other levies imposed on businesses in the state,” he said.
Tella said that cattle owners had no right to hold anybody to ransom.
He said that herdsmen were employees of the cattle owners, adding that landowners or government could only deal with the employers, not the employees.
“As it were, there are insinuations that cattle rearing is a special non-profit making business, which is not true.
“It is a business like any other profit-making venture and should be so treated. After all, consumers purchase the cows at moderate to exorbitant prices,” Tella said. (NAN)
JNC /KOO/TÁ
Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa/Tajudeen Atitebi