There seems to be more headaches coming the way of Mr.
President, Muhammadu Buhari as the National Association of Piggery Farmers (NAPF)
has written him, alleging marginalization and demanding for a start, piggery
colonies in 19 northern states, reports NaijaAgroNet.
NAPF in the letter addressed to the Presidency, and sighted
by NaijaAgroNet which was signed
by one Ogbuefi Animam Eze, who claimed to be the National Secretary of NAPF,
also sent copies to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry
of Defence, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Afenifere, Aka Ikenga, Oodua Peoples' Congress (OPC),
Ijaw National Congress (INC), Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Arewa Consultative Forum
(ACF), and Nzuko Umunna deplore the marginalization of the association by the
Federal Government.
“Our pigs have been variously targeted for elimination in
several Northern states. Those Sharia compliant states have refused to allow
our legitimate businesses to thrive. Our members have been hounded and harassed
by the Hisbah Police and others. We deplore this,” the group said.
They also alleged that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development (FMARD) led Chief Audo Ogbeh, has paid deaf ears to our
plight, as members demand that the marginalization must stop in order to
forestall any breakdown of law and order.
Based on the foregoing, NAPF raised a six-point demand top
on agenda being the demand for a 20-hectare Piggery Colony in the 19 Northern
States especially Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Bauchi, Niger, Borno and
Gombe.
NAPF insisted that equal opportunities should be given to
all farmers and herders throughout the federation and went on to demand from
the National Assembly the passage of a law on “Piggery Colonies in all Northern
states.”
Further, NAPF demanded that a section of the Nigerian Army
be employed in the protection of pigs and pig farmers form any attack,
proposing FMARD set aside a budget allocation for the importation of Pig Feed
from Argentina, whereas a special department of Piggery in the Federal Ministry
of Agriculture should be created.
“Dear Mr. President, we are law abiding association. We
prevent our members from being provoked by the government-backed Hisbah/Islamic
horde that aim to destroy our pig farmers. We shall not be involved in
attacking and killing the anti-piggery people in the Sharia States. If these
things are not done, we can no longer guarantee that our members would not deliberately
target our transducers,” NAPF said.
Isaac Oyimah/GEE
