Community head harps on peace between herders, farmers

The community head of Yaupe, Bwari Area Council, Danjuma Idi, has emphasised the need for herders and farmers to live in harmony in the council.  Idi said a peaceful relationship between the two set of people would also lead to economic benefits for the larger community.  He said his community has had its share of […]

The community head of Yaupe, Bwari Area Council, Danjuma Idi, has emphasised the need for herders and farmers to live in harmony in the council. 
Idi said a peaceful relationship between the two set of people would also lead to economic benefits for the larger community. 
He said his community has had its share of disagreement between herdsmen and farmers, but identified dialogue and understanding as the strategies employed to solve the disagreements and prevent them from degenerating into violence. 
He said in cases of reported crop destruction by herdsmen, he calmed the farmers down and called the herdsmen to order. He said in several cases, barring his intervention, the community would have been turned into chaos. 
Pastor Musa Bitrus, a farmer in the community said the invasion of farms by cattle was usually planned for the time that farmers were away from their farms. He said the situation was affecting the farmers, adding that they have lost crops worth large sums of money.
“You will just get to the farm and discover that cattle have destroyed your crops,” he said.
He said when that happened, the case was reported to the community head who called the Fulani leaders for mediation in the issue.
He said the approach had to a great extent fostered harmonious relationship in the community between the two groups.
He described the move as beneficial, adding that other communities could also learn from it. 
While appealing to the government for social amenities, the community head said lack of potable water, electricity, good road and secondary school top their priorities. 
He said the only primary school in the community was built in 1976 and was in a sorry state now with pupils made to sit on broken desks while studying. 
He said the school, if renovated, would make education appealing to the residents.