“We Want Grazing Reserves In The North Only” – Tambuwal

He stressed that no grazing reserve will be established in the southeast or anywhere in the entire south.

His
words: “I am a Fulani man from Sokoto, and I have cattles. I know that
it is better for me to rear and keep my herds in one place and provide
good grass for them.

“Talking about Southeast and northern
Nigeria relationship this issue of herdsmen that has been coming up
recently I believe Federal Government is coming up with a measured
response of ensuring that we have grazing reserves, particularly, with
emphasis, in northern Nigeria, in states where they originate from, so
that they can remain within their neighborhood, within their families
and carter for their castles in a much more better way, much more
organized way and much more economically viable system.

“By
having a grazing reserve in Sokoto State for instance, all herdsmen and
herds farmers in Sokoto can graze within Sokoto State environment
without moving their herds out.

“We in the northern states in
particularly have embraced this very proactive measure of establishing
grazing reserves in the north so that the herdsmen and their herds can
remain at home in their environment. That will give us better meat,
better milk and for the people of Sokoto and Aba leather for making
shoes and other leather works.” Tambuwal said.

It will be
recalled that the Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu recently said
that any plan to establish a grazing reserves for the Fulani herdsmen
will be frustrated in the southeast because there are no land space in
the zone for such.
His words: “We don’t need grazing reserves in
the South-East, because we don’t have land space for it. There are
enough land in the north, so let the establishment of grazing reserves
be in the north.”

Meanwhile, Governor Tambuwal who was in Abia to
commission some projects executed by Governor Ikpeazu praised his
Colleague for what he described as giant strides in the face of paucity
of funds.

His words: “My dear brother, I can’t thank you enough
for the recognition and honor of inviting me to come here to Abia State
to commission projects executed by your administration.

“I must
commend you for the giant strides in the midst of paucity and none
availability of founds, you’ve been able to execute the projects that
you found me worthy to come and commission.”

Governor Tambuwal,
who said that he has had a long standing relationship with the good
people of Abia State, commended Governor Ikpeazu for his leadership
which he said has been able to sustain peaceful Abia State, while
praying that peace shall never depart Abia State, even as it shall
permeate the entity of the rest part of Nigeria.
His words:
“Without peace we cannot have development and we cannot have progress.
Let me therefore use the advantage of this platform to call on all
Nigerians to continue to embrace peace and peaceful ways of conveying
grievances that they have.

“Taking up arms against your state, or
against your fellow brothers will not help matters it will rather
worsen situations. I call on every Nigerian who is involved in any form
of violence to please embrace peace and approach government at various
levels on whatever grievance that anybody is having.

“I believe
that all of us, from Mr. President down to council chairman as elected
by the people, and we are here to listen to our people. Be rest assured
that we up north are very much interested in what is happening around
here and all over the country.” He said.
Speaking on the killing
of a Christian woman from Imo State in Kano State, Governor Tambuwal
said: “We are saddened by the development in Kano State, where one of
our leaders and mother Mrs. Bridget Agbaheme was murdered.

“I
convey condolences of people of Sokoto State to her family, and all
Nigerians. I condemn the way and manner her life was taken unjustly. I
said unjustly because she was never sentenced by any court of law. It
was an act of a gang mob hiding under the guise of religion.

“As a
Moslem from Sokoto State, I assure you that such act was unislamic. The
religion of Islam is a religion of peace. Islam itself as a word means
peace.

“We are also saddened by the attack meted against one
young boy (Francis Emmanuel) by his stepmother in Kano State. We are not
happy with these development.”

While in Abia, Governor Tambuwal commissioned five roads executed by Governor Ikpeazu in Aba.

The road include: Ehere Road, Umule Road, Umuehilegbu (Tonimas) Road, Umuocham Road and Umuojima Road.

However, Umuojima Road has been renamed after a three time Deputy Governor of the State, Late Dr. Chima Nwafor.

The
Late Dr Nwafor, a renowned surgeon, was first Deputy Governor to the
First Civilian Governor of the State, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu from 1992 to
1993.

He was later appointed Deputy Governor under former
Governor, Orji Uzo Kalu, in 2002 to complete Orji Kalu and Enyinnaya
Abaribe tenure, when Abaribe resigned.

In 2003, Dr. Nwafor was
elected as Deputy Governor to Kalu during the second tenure of Orji
Kalu, but died he in office before the end of the tenure.

Late Dr. Nwafor is a native of Umuojima village in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia state.