Ekiti gives farmers, herders two weeks to register or get expelled

The Ekiti government has given farmers and herders another two weeks window to register with the state.

The fresh two-week grace begins on Sunday, March 22.

In February, the state had conducted a two-week registration of farmers and herders but not all seized the opportunity.

Olabode Adetoyi, commissioner for agriculture and food security, said the exercise was necessary to ensure that all farmers and herders could be accounted for.

He said the registration was also aimed at ensuring peace between the two groups and bringing incessant clashes between them to an end.

He said the exercise was in consonance with the National Livestock Transformation Programme of the federal government.

Adetoyi noted that clashes between farmers and herders pose dangers to human and food security, hence, the need to take proactive measures to curb the menace.

Ebenezer Ogundana, special adviser to the governor on security matters, warned that whoever fails to register during the two-week window would be treated as a criminal.

Ogundana, who is also the chairman of the herder-farmer peace committee, said such persons would be compelled to leave the state.

Mobolaji Aluko, director-general of the office of transformation and service delivery, said identity cards will be issued to registered farmers and herders free of charge.

In a bid to tackle the farmer-herder crisis, the government had banned open grazing in the state.

The Ekiti government had also said alternative methods are being considered to promote modern agricultural systems.