Tension In Berom Land Over Grazing Reserve, As Berom Education and Cultural Organization Warn Herders

Yakubu Busari

The Berom Educational and Cultural Organisation (BECO) has warned herders over growing tension on the Plateau on the grazing reserve.

The organization strongly believes that resurrecting such a policy now will serve no useful purpose, but generate another round of violent conflict.

In a Press Statement signed by BECO General Secretary, Davou Choji Davou and Chairman, BECO standing Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon. Sam Godongsa issued to Journalists in Jos yesterday demands that herdsmen currently occupying Berom Land forcefully in Gashish, Riyom, and Bachit Districts must be made to leave unconditionally otherwise there is fear given the conflicting position of government.

‪”The attention of Berom Educational and Cultural Organisation (BECO) has been drawn to the contradictory and confusing pronouncements by Plateau State Governor Barr. Simon Lalong on the vexed issues of Grazing reserves in Plateau State, initially the Governor was quoted at a function in ECWA Headquarters as saying no grazing reserves will be created in the state. However, at another instance he declared that President Muhammadu Buhari and some Governors were in agreement on creating ranches as a panacea to the farmer-herder conflicts”.

‪According to the statement it said the idea of grazing reserves is aimed at carving out territories and domains at the expenses of the natives for the interest of the Fulani, saying the attacks, killings and destruction of food crops in Berom Land have recently emanated from the Fulani self-created enclaves and such would therefore be an endorsement of illegitimate and illegal acts.

‪”BECO wishes to clearly and firmly state that Berom do not and shall never support the creation of Grazing Reserves on our land, no matter how defined, Berom Land has had its own share of troubles from Tin Mining Conglomerates, rapid forces of urbanization, and Jihadist campaigns of terror, and shall not yield to deceitful devices of Land-grap and territorial expansion for the benefit of ‘special Nigerians’ we will however lend encouragement to any individual or group that is predisposed to the idea of ranching on his ancestral or acquired land”.

‪”Most recently the Minister of Agriculture, chief Audu Ogbeh listed Plateau as one of the states that have agreed to provide 55,000 hectares of Land for grazing reserves”.

‪They said Berom Land was declared a congested area in the 1940s because the land-people-ratio was about the highest in the country, saying this has gotten worse rather than improve over the years due to population increase, immigration and urbanization.” This means that the fragile carrying capacity of the land has gotten more precarious and creating grazing reserves is like adding salt to an injury as these would perpetuate food hunger, increase unemployment, and heighten youth restiveness, the livelihoods of the Berom, and their survival would be threatened even further.”