Council of State urges Buhari to address farmers, herdsmen clashes

The National Council of State on Tuesday in Abuja urged the incoming administration of retired Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to develop viable solutions to the persistent clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the country.
Addressing State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, which was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue said already, a document had been prepared by the council to address the menace.
“The issue of the clashes between the herdsmen and the farmers in various parts of the country was also addressed and the way forward.
“Actually, the report that was presented by the Economic Council under my chairmanship as relates to issue of grazing and what the Federal Government needs to do in order to address that will be presented to the incoming president so that he will act on it since there is no time for the present administration to do that.”
According to him, the prepared document states what needs to be done that will reduce the clashes.
Also President Goodluck Jonathan will on May 28, a day to the inauguration and swearing in of president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, present him with the handover notes and conduct him on a familiarisation tour of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
All official documents prepared by the transition committee will be handed over on May 28 while 29 will be reserved for Buhari’s inauguration and swearing in, Babangida Aliyu, the Niger State governor, told journalists on Tuesday after the valedictory Council of State meeting.
“The handing over of documents from the outgoing president to the incoming president will take place on the 28th and the inauguration on the 29th”, Aliyu said.
Suswam, who briefed journalists alongside Governor Aliyu, said on May 28, President Jonathan will conduct Gen. Buhari and the vice president-elect, Yemi Osibanjo, round the Villa.
He said Council took time to discuss the transition and inauguration committees and noted that henceforth a template will be followed for subsequent transitions whether or not it is same party.
He noted that the template used for this transition process will be maintained as permanent for subsequent transitions.
“Council decided that henceforth there has to be a template in which transition will follow, we have never had it. This is the first time one is going to be developed, so that there is no speculation as to what needs to be done as everything will be in a template. If there is a transition whether is from the same party to the same party or from one party to another is the same template. You will recall that we have never had a template in which to follow and how we go about our transition but what is going to happen this time around is going to be permanent”, he said.
All is now ready for the inauguration as invitations have been sent to all African leaders, the G8 and other multinational organisations, Aliyu told journalists, adding that Council also discussed the issue of keeping invited guests waiting, stating that the invitees must not arrive before the inviters.