Gombe State Livestock and Productivity Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) and the Ministry for Internal Security and Home Affairs has pledged to collaborate towards improving the welfare and security of citizens of Gombe State.

This development was made known today when the Commissioner Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs Lt Colonel Abdullahi Bello (retired) paid a courtesy call on the Project Coordinator Professor Usman Bello Abubakar at the Project Coordination Office.

 

The Commissioner who was accompanied to the project office by the Director of Administration and Finance and other Principal Staff of the ministry had earlier briefed the Project Coordinator on the mandate and activities of the ministry and requested for collaboration and synergy considering their shared vision to improve the welfare and provide protection to the citizens of the state.

 

The Project Coordinator who noted the role of the ministry and its relevance to the L-PRES Project said, the collaboration would not be at a better time than now when the livestock sector is currently prone to security challenges especially the farmers and herders clashes and pleaded with the ministry to put heads together towards finding a lasting solution to the conflicts.

 

“A few days ago we received a report of clashes between farmers and herders involving parts of Funakaye, Dukku and Kwami local government areas in connection with Wawa Zange and Grazing Reserve and there is a need to put heads together to overcome these challenges”

Professor Abubakar commended the state Governor Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya for providing the enabling environment and needed support for the project to successfully implement its activities.

 

He cited the formation of herders and farmers management committee on dermacation of cattle routes and grazing reserves explaining that monuments would soon be installed on the places identified to finally bring an end to the age-long controversy.

 

In its efforts to create wealth and employment opportunities for women and youth in the state, the Project Coordinator said, the mapping and enumeration of potential beneficiaries has reached advanced stage in the eleven local Government areas of the state cutting across all livestock value chain businesses including livestock producers, processors, marketers and transporters of livestock products and services.

 

He said a field report on the L-PRES Project database indicated over thirty thousand livestock value chain actors have been registered so far and assured stakeholders that livestock farmers will be supported in line with the vision of the state Governor Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya to engage women and youth to participate actively in the economic development of the state.

The Commissioner commended the L-PRES Project for implementing far reaching interventions towards transforming the livestock sector in the state explaining that, apart from providing security solutions in the state, the home affairs component of the ministry is equally in responsible for the socio economic protection of citizens and pleaded with the L-PRES Project to support in that direction.