By Raphael Okhiria

The General Superintendent of the Gospel Light International Ministries – New Covenant Gospel Church, Rev. Dr. Felix Omobude, has called on Cattle Rearers in Nigeria to urgently do everything possible to modernize their methods of operation.

Rev. Dr. Felix Omobude who is a former national president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), gave the advice during a media briefing in Benin City, Edo State.

He stated that if the cattle farmers in Nigeria agree to embrace modern techniques of doing their farming business, there will be relative peace in the country as it will end the incessant killing of farmers, and end the long outdated open grazing.

He said, “as president of PFN, we advocated that the era of nomadic cattle rearing should be over. We published this in the newspapers. They should embrace ranching.

“They eat beef in the UK (United Kingdom). They eat beef in America. They eat beef in Dubai. But you don’t see cattle running around the street. PFN has always advocated that we should modernise cattle rearing. It’s a business, and those in it should be helped to run it as a business.

“It’s very sad that for whatever reason, subsequent governments have tried to protect cattle rearing. You want to give other people’s land to them, whether you call it Ruga or whatever you call it. Cattle rearing is a business.

“If the rearers want to set up a ranch, they should meet with the community, get appropriate land, get appropriate certificate of occupancy, and run their business. If I live here and I want to go to Kano to set up a cassava farm, I can’t just do it anywhere I like because it’s my personal business.

“I must follow the rule. So I think that this is part of the issues. The government should handle it.

“The days of carrying cattle and running into bushes and going to people’s farms should be over because it has complicated our security system in this country.”