Chuks Ibegbu, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Igbo apex socio-political organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Sunday faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent comment on grazing routes.
Ibegbu said Buhari was trying to cause trouble and take Nigeria backwards by insisting on reopening the old grazing routes.
Buhari had, in a recent interview vowed to reopen the old grazing routes across the country.
However, Ibegbu, in an interview, said Nigeria should adopt modern methods of cattle rearing, rather than insisting on open grazing.
“During the colonial era, there were identified gazetted grazing routes which over the years are no longer functional due to population and other things, Ibegbu said.
“Infact, 99 percent of the grazing routes were in the North so if Mr President is trying to find a solution he should look at ranching. I don’t know why he is trying to cause more problem?
“We are no longer talking about grazing, the Southern governors have said no to open grazing and even some Northern governors said they don’t appreciate open grazing.
“So when we talk, it’s like Nigeria is the only country with cattle; go to East, South, and Central Africa, they rear cattle, but we always make mountain out of a molehill in Nigeria. We are praying for change so we have to follow scientific methods which will even help the cattle dealers.
“Cattle rearing is a business and we have to use modern business practices and in the modern era, ranching is the way. I don’t know why Mr President is trying to take us back to all this issue of open grazing, we have outgrown that stage.”
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