Federal government set to charge farmers on ‘protection fee’

– The Federal Government is making arrangements whereby farmers in Nigeria will pay fees for protection

– The minister of agriculture and rural development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, dropped the hint yesterday, July 20

– Farmers have been victims of kidnappers and rampaging herdsmen in recent times

Nigeria’s minister of agriculture and rural development, Chief Audu Ogbeh yesterday, July 20 revealed that there are plans by the federal government to start charging farmers for what he called ‘protection fee’. 

Ogbeh made the revelation while briefing Aso Rock correspondents after yesterday’s Federal Executive Council meeting.

Ogbeh had hinted on the plan when he paid a courtesy visit to the minister of interior, Lieutenant- General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) on Tuesday, July 12.

Both ministers had set up an inter-ministerial committee to work out modalities and fine tune the security of agro-investments and investors in the country.

READ ALSO: Exposed: Enugu monarchs collect grazing fee from Fulani herdsmen

Personnel of the NigeriaN Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have already being penned down for the job of securing the farmers.

According to Ogbeh, the federal government had to come up with a legitimate arrangement to stop the abductions and killings of farmers so that they won’t take laws into their hands.

He also told the reporters that a development programme was underway to stop cows from being moved around.

He also noted that the federal government would not force any state to provide land for grazing reserves, even as he mentioned that some states were willing to make their lands available.

He equally informed his audience that the Federal Executive Council had approved a new agriculture road map to address food shortage in the country.

Tagged The Green Alternative, the road map is meant to guide agricultural operations in the next three years, outline government’s policies and objectives of seeing agriculture as the next biggest alternative in its drive to diversify the Nigerian economy.

Speaking further, Ogbeh said document outlines virtually everything Nigeria needs to do to achieve self-sufficiency in food production and become a major exporter of agricultural products.

Clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers across the nation has been a source of worry for the federal government.

READ ALSO: Fulani herdsmen: Stop exaggerating Benue crisis, Governor Ortom tells media

Meanwhile, the Adamawa state government has mapped out 30 grazing reserves in the state.

According to the state’s commissioner of livestock development, Isa Salihu, the establishment of the reserves is line with the government’s plan to put an end to the herdsmen/ farmers clashes in Nigeria.

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