June 25, (THEWILL) – The Synod of the All Nations Evangelism Ministries (ANEM) has backed the Nigerian Senate to enact a law to address the prolonged conflict between farmers and herders.
Chairman of the Synod and President of the Christian Association of Clergies (CAC), Most Rev. Dr. Yimam Orkwar, who disclosed this after the third quarter Synod of the All Nations Evangelism Ministries (ANEM) held during the Word of Faith Ministers convention at the Faith Cathedral, Makurdi, said it was a positive development and urged Nigerians to support the initiative.
According to the Synod, “a ban on open grazing, provision of ranches and establishment of a commission to regulate control of ranches is long overdue” and the assignment should be handled with every sense of patriotism, equity and fairness.
The Synod noted that Nigerians are groaning under the heavy burden of surviving the present economic realities, challenging the Federal Government to take deliberate steps to genuinely alleviate the sufferings of the citizens. It argued that the people deserve a better standard of living which President Bola Tinubu must urgently address.
In a Communique issued after the meeting and signed by Most. Rev. Orkwar, a copy of which was made available to THEWILL, the Synod cautioned that amid the current agitation for restructuring in the Nigerian Federation, all Nigerians, especially the political class, should not allow sectional interest to override their judgement.
The communique called on Nigerians to instead seek a balance such that the interests and concerns of different sections of the federation would be addressed reasonably.
The Synod appealed to the government to urgently look into the conditions of over two million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in several camps in Benue State and other Nigerians who are in similar situations in other parts of the country to return to their ancestral homes.
On insecurity, it lamented that six of its members were recently murdered by alleged armed herders in Gwer West Local Government Area of the state, urging the government to rise to its responsibility of securing the lives and property of its citizens.
“Synod is saddened by the brutal murder of six of her members in Gwer West Local Government Area by suspected herdsmen. Government should rise to her responsibility of securing the lives and property of her citizens. Security is paramount as infrastructural development would be meaningless only when citizens are alive to enjoy it,” it said.
It appreciated efforts at combating the menace of armed banditry in the Sankara axis of Benue State by Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration, urging the strengthening of the security architecture in the area.
