Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta’s administration and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) will hire vigilantes and hunters to tackle criminal herders.

This decision was reached in Asaba when the Delta State Livestock Management Committee (DLMC)’s chairman, Julius Egbedi, led a meeting with the chairmen of the state’s 25 local government areas.

Mr Egbedi explained that Mr Okowa had enacted a livestock law and set up the DLMC to reach out and interface with various stakeholders to ensure hitch-free and peaceful implementation of the law across the state.

”The state government will also set up a task force in all the LGAs. The task force will be equipped with all it entails to ensure the security of our farmers,” he said.

Mr Egbedi added that the committee had visited the Nigerian Army, traditional rulers, the Miyetti Allah, and the Cattle Breeders and Dealers Association in Asaba to seek their collaboration.

He also explained that the committee would hold meetings with other critical stakeholders in the various communities to sensitise them on the law.

In his reaction, the special adviser to the governor on Local Government Affairs, Kelly Penawou, lauded Mr Okowa for the initiative and expressed delight in the commitment of the committee members since inauguration.

According to Mr Penawou, if the law is diligently implemented, it will bring back peace, and farmers in the state would go about their businesses without fear.

Also, the ALGON chairman in Delta, Victor Ebonka, stressed that the committee’s inauguration was apt, taking into cognizance the farmers/herders menace, which has negatively impacted agriculture and the economy of the state.

He added that ALGON remained a major and principal stakeholder and assured that all the council chairmen would work with the committee to ensure that the law was effectively implemented in all parts of the state.

(NAN)