CONVENER OF YOUTHS ALLIANCE FOR PEACE AND PROGRESS Comr. SHUL-NOM’S ADVISE TO HERDSMEN & FARMERS.
The convener of Youths Alliance for Peace and Progress (YAPP) Comrade Shul-Nom Yohanna Bako’s quest for peace and progress in the society cannot be overemphasized.
He recently gave the following advice to farmers and herdsmen:
As we approach the raining season, the following tips can help us to remain peaceful.
1. We must be security conscious. Going to distant farmlands alone may not be a good idea.
2. Going to farm late into the night may not be a good idea.
3. The herdsmen especially Fulanis and the likes should stop sending underaged children to go out for grazing without the elderly ones. They may not have the capacity and mental strength to control the cows.
4. Grazing in residential areas should be discouraged.
5. Farmers should endeavour not to farm on grazing routes. Doing so hampers free movement of cattle.
6. Herdsmen should find a way of handling/restricting the movement of their cows because in no distant time, farmers will start spraying weed control and insects repellant drugs. They are not good for cows.
7. Poisoning grasses/crops to keep away cows and other animals from destroying our crops and trees is not the best idea. Any incidence of destruction of farmland(s) should be promptly reported to the appropriate authority. The authority concerned should act promptly to calm frayed nerves and ensure that Justice is done.
8. Those who have goats and pigs in our neighborhood should find a way of caging them to avoid destruction of crops and other valuables.
9. We can do our best by not taking the laws into our hands. Doing so leads to chain of violence which is a monster and anti-development.
10. Never encroach into people’s farmlands. We should eandeavour to show our children or those we hire them to farm for us our boundaries.
11. Dialogue is a fundamental tool in ensuring peace. It’s better to argue on a round table of discussion for solutions than to cry on the battlefield.
12. Despite our challenges as a people, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. We need peace in our society.
Farmers cannot take their farmlands or crops to heaven neither can the herdsmen take their cows or sheep to heaven. We must leave everything on earth. Let’s respect one another and live in peace and harmony in order to ensure a bumper harvest in the 2020 farming season.
The dreaded covid-19 is bitting us harder, let’s ensure physical distancing and proper hygiene.
Finally, if you can’t forgive, be perfect. But if you are not perfect, forgive.
Comr. Shul-Nom Y. Bako
Convener,
Youths Alliance for Peace and Progress (YAPP)
02/05/2020.
