Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, on Monday, warned that henceforth, only registered herdsmen who are members of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, umbrella body of Fulani cattle breeders, with valid identity card, will be allowed in the state. 

Ajimobi who gave the warning during a meeting with representatives of farmers, cattle breeders, security agents and other stakeholders held at House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan, maintained that protection of lives and property remained the core function of his administration. 

He used the occasion to seek for cooperation of all stakeholders in ensuring that the state continues to enjoy peace and harmony. 

He said,  "All the herdsmen, let us work closely with their President and chairmen. We must know them with their heads. If possible we must register them and their cows. The role of the government is the protection and enhancement of the people. All of us must participate in the security. 

"I am saying therefore all these bodies that we set up - some will be meeting twice in a month because of the exigency of their work. 

"Then all of us will be meeting every month. We must fortify our security. We must know all the herdsmen and their leadership, all of them must be under Miyetti Allah and they must be registered. We shall use task force, let us use Operation Burst, we don't need to establish another task force, we will use them. I am saying that we are going to use Operation Burst to tackle this menace. 

"We are all the same, forget about Fulani or Yoruba, I don't see any difference. The only person that can say he’s different is someone who does not eat and the person is not here. 

"So I am appealing to you that let us imbibe peace; but there is no peace without all of us. We must have the same meeting in all local government areas and all the security agents will be there. So we are establishing under operation burst, farmers /herdsmen surveillance unit".