“We Supported Buhari For His Re-election, Now He Has Abandoned Us” – Miyetti Allah

Baba Ngelzarma, National President of MACBAN, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, has slammed President Buhari for abandoning herders in the nation despite their support during his 2019 reelection campaign.

Ngelzarma, who had served as the association’s secretary before to being elected president, said this in an interview with newsmen on Saturday, December 18, in Abuja.

He claims that the administration led by Buhari has neglected animal husbandry in favour of allocating significant resources to the country’s other agricultural sectors.

Ngelzarma said, “On the eve of the last election that brought in Buhari for the second term, we endorsed him. We showed the world that we are with him but thereafter, up till now as I speak to you, nothing has been done.

“Buhari has abandoned the pastoralists. This is very clear, whether Buhari or his lieutenants, the pastoralists have been abandoned by the government. In the last eight years, nothing tangible… while over N500 billion was spent on agronomy, nothing was spent on livestock, almost nothing.

“Go and check all the state government’s budgetary provisions including the federal government’s budgetary provisions. If you see what is budgeted for livestock, you will be surprised.

“Livestock is being neglected completely.”

He argued that even though the Miyetti Allah association is pleased with the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP), it would do little to nothing to solve the issues facing pastoralists.

He said, “Only recently the Buhari administration started implementing the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) where some states have accessed the N3 billion, N6 billion funding.

“Some states started it, the one in Yola has started but we see it as a project that cannot solve the problem.

“How do you think a livestock centre that can accommodate not more than 20,000 cows can solve the problem of the cows in Adamawa that are over two million? But as a model, it is okay, we appreciate it. At least the pastoralists will see how to modernize animal husbandry.”