Federal government has been urged to assist in providing self-sufficient ranches for pastoralists to prevent conflict between farmers and herdsmen.

Mr  Benson Abounu, the Deputy Governor of Benue State, on Tuesday in Abuja, disclosed this at the end of  the organisation’s“Mercy Corps”, four year initiative programme.

The programme, tagged, “Conciliation in Nigeria through Community-Based Conflict Management and Cooperative use of Resources (CONCUR) stakeholders forum”, sponsored by the UKAid and Mercy Corps.

He said government must come out with a clear cut idea to  ensure that laws are made and also not broken.

“As far as we are concern, solving this conflict between herdsmen and farmers, government need to demarcate  places  for animals to be reared.

“ The name for such a place is called ranch .It is not a one day affair, because it is not possible to develop ranches over night and it is not possible to develop ranches that would be self sufficient for this country even in the next 10 years,”he said.

He admits that, “ It’s going to take time, but government must sit down and work out a policy, to put up the designs, do the drawings and demarcate the areas.
“Because our animals move from one place to another , fatigue sets in and you see them losing weight.

“The government must come in with clear cut ideas and ensure that laws are made and those laws are not broken,’’ he said.

He explained that government must therefore bring about an end to insecurity coming from the herdsmen and the farmers.

“Since it concerns both parties, we cannot blame it on one side, because both sides are guilty.

“But for now , government  has to do something even if it means securing a temporary grazing place where it would be possible for pastoralists to graze,” he added.

Also speaking at the event, Ms Iveta Ouvry, Country Director, Mercy Corps Nigeria , said that since its inception , the organisation had been able to address the pastoralist, farmer’s conflict through negotiation.

According to her, since the opening of Mercy Corps in 2012 , it now has branches in four states of Nigeria; namely Nasarawa, Plateau, Kaduna and Benue.
“We have been able to address sources of conflict through strengthening social and economic ties at the community level, by integrating economic growth,  governance and resource management into the reconciliation process.

“We also ensure that the resulting peace is sustainable,’’ Ouvry added. (NAN)