If the rat cannot run fast enough

IT is a great irony that when some so- called Northern leaders decided to take action against what they perceived as injustice meted against some Northerners in Southern Nigeria, they decided on the tomato war. It is an indication on how complex the situation is becoming in our great country and the perplexing reaction of the powers- that- be. The push has come to shove and it is clear that those who declared the tomato war last week are the least likely to afford it. Besides, we know the problems, what we don’t know yet are the solutions to the problems that we are inflicting on ourselves.

It is interesting that the Miyetti Allah organization has not join the fray of this tepid tomato war. Last week, it was reported that some trailer lorries were turned back on the Jebba bridge that would take them to Kwara State from Niger State. It was supposed to be the opening salvo of total ban on agricultural produce from the North from reaching the hungry mouth of Southern consumers. In the real sense, the farmers of the North, especially those producing tomatoes, pepper, onions, carrot, water melon and other produce have their market in the South, especially in the burgeoning megalopolis of Lagos, Ibadan and Port- Harcourt. For generations, these produce from the North have proved to be cheaper, if not better, than those produced in the South.

During the First Republic, agriculture was a purely regional matter. However, since the Federal Government became the lord of agriculture, it has poured billions of naira to cultivation. Most of the money has gone to help farmers in the North who seem to have discovered the magic of securing Federal assistance. Since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power, he has doled out billions of naira to what is called Anchor Borrower Scheme across the country. Through this scheme, farmers in the North have mostly benefitted. It is interesting that this scheme seems not to have many recipients in the South.

I have spoken to people who are into serious farming enterprises in Ekiti State and they seem unable to secure this grants and loans. Note that the government of Ekiti State and the Federal Government are both controlled by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Last year, I am also close to those who have participated in training to enable them get access to these loans, yet the stories continue to be long like the Tales from the Arabian Nights. Our governors need to take direct interest to secure these loan to genuine farmers so that we can collectively banish poverty and wants from our shores. One of the ways to go about it is to regularly publish the list of beneficiary’s state by state so that farmers would be encouraged that the situation may be difficult, but not hopeless.

The irony is that the current crisis showed that the farmers and traders are victims and they all need to join hands to protest criminalities of the herders, especially those of the Fulani stock. It is interesting that it is the farmers’ products, not the cattle, that would be stopped from crossing to the South. What they need to stop are the cattle. That is the beast of contention, not the tomatoes. Buhari

When the crisis started about 20 years, it was because the herders wanted to assert their right to roam wherever they please. They want to show the farmers they are the Lord of whatever they behold. They have no respect for the farmers’ labour nor do they respect any boundary. They would ravage any farm and destroy a year diligent industry. The farmers in Zamfara, in Ogun, in Oyo, Taraba, Benue, Edo, Anambra and Katsina, in their different locations, try to address the situation. In some incidence, there were violence. When hundreds were killed in Benue, the Emperor in Abuja wrung his hands and beseeched the farmers to be tolerant. Soon the herders left herding and moved into the more lucrative vocations of kidnapping and murder.

In the last two weeks, they have virtually kidnapped Niger State. In which other country would more than 500 school children be kidnapped and everything would still appear normal? When our children were kidnapped in Chibok during the regime of President Goodluck Jonathan, it was a novel, if tragic, occurrence. No one has ever heard so many young people been seized by criminals in one day. They whole world rallied in our support. Some of the Chibok girls are not back till today. Yet the criminals who perpetrated this evil are still on the surface of God’s earth. Nigeria!

The Kagara episode provided Nigeria the opportunity to show that the game has changed. The Federal Government could have come in full strength, move in 30,000 troops and create a condone- sanitaire round the swathe of the affected areas in Niger and neigbouring states. Helicopter gunships should have been in the sky while drones probe the forest. Within 24 hours, these criminals would have been identified, isolated and smoked out. Instead, we ultimately deployed a bearded Islamic cleric, who actually think that these criminals have some justifications for their crime against the society.

With this kind of experience, how can any citizen in Niger State really believe that the government in Abuja is still there for him? When an American was taken hostage by some hoodlums, the United State government deployed special forces all the way to Katsina State and rescued him. Here we are, Abuja could not secure the release of any of the Niger State captive. Niger State is the home of two

“The Kagara episode provided Nigeria the opportunity to show that the game has changed. The Federal Government could have come in full strength, move in 30,000 troops and create a condone- sanitaire round the swathe of the affected areas in Niger and neigbouring states. Helicopter gunships should have been in the sky while drones probe the forest. Within 24 hours, these criminals would have been identified, isolated and smoked out. Instead, we ultimately deployed a bearded Islamic cleric, who actually think that these “criminals have some justifications for their crime against the society.