By Muhammed Ogwu, Lafia
The Fulani socio-cultural group, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, has unveiled a Cattle International Market in the Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, aimed at tackling farmers/herders clashes across the country.
Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, who spoke during the event at the weekend, said the establishment of the international market would foster integration with other ethnic nationalities in the country and also sustain the legacy of the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello.
Bodejo, who was represented by the North Central chairman of the group, Ibrahim Adamu, explained that the new market would add economic value not only to northerners but to all Nigerian citizens.
While commending President Bola Tinubu for creating the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, he reiterated the association’s commitment to continue to give massive support to him in order to ensure the success of his administration.
His words, “Creating this ministry is an advantage for us, to educate our nomads concerning the issues of crisis. Because crisis is something that is unlawful. So, apart from the numerous advantages, the ministry will also make the nomads come close to the farmers.
“Also, with the establishment of this Maliya International Market, it will make the sellers and buyers come together and interact. This will help them have an understanding and through that, they will have a cordial relationship.”
Also speaking at the unveiling of the cattle international market, one of the youth leaders of the group, Abdullahi Aliyu, explained that opening the cattle market was an initiative of the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, who had desired to have a market at the border town between Northern Nigeria and the other parts of the country for the purpose of enhancing economic values.
According to him, as an international market, it is expected that people from Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Niger Republic, Central African Republic, and other African countries will constantly buy cattle from the market, which would, in turn, help boost the economy of Nigeria.
Aliyu said apart from the economic development of the country, the market will help solve the farmers-herders clashes as well as tackle security challenges because there will be a lot of work for the teeming youths who are currently jobless.
“This market will provide job opportunities for young Nigerians. Inside the market, there is going to be a milk section. Also, we will have a meat section.
“It is not just a cow market itself where you will slaughter and store the meat for export within and outside Nigeria. There is a clinic for the cows. There is a clinic for humans that are going to interact in the market. There is equally a police station, a security outpost.
“There is also where the head of the cow itself will be treated, where the bones will be treated, and all things that you know, including the feces of the cow that we know is very useful, will be transformed into a proper and natural fertilizer that would be used in our local farms within Nigeria and, of course, the African continent,” he stated.
He, therefore, implored his tribesmen and other Nigerians to do away with all forms of violence and embrace peace at all times, while stating that there cannot be any meaningful development in an atmosphere of rancor.
“It is very important that we should accept ourselves as brothers and sisters. We should love ourselves. We should try to have peace within ourselves. We should be talking to ourselves. We should understand each other, so that together, we will be able to take our dear country to greater heights,” he concluded.
