Mr. Retson Tedheke, a cattle herder in Urhobo, Delta State has called on Nigerians to stop demonizing the Fulani cattle herders over insecurities in the country.
Tedheke, in twitter post said instead of blaming the Fulani cattle herders for open grazing, Nigerians should provide a solution. According to him, most of the cattle in the Southern Nigeria are owned by Southerners who employed the Fulani to manage their cattle.
He further admitted that, although, he engages in open grazing and ranching, but the cost of feeding cattle is much hence most of the cattle herders choose open grazing.
He said;
“#RUGA: I’m an Urhobo Herder That Operates a Hybrid Ranch Comprising Open Grazing & Ranching. So Are Many Nigerians in This Business. Cost of Feeding Cattle is Crazy When a MidRange Cow Consumes About 25kg of Fresh Grass & 20-50litres of Water Daily. Maintenance is a Concern!
“I Have Consulted 4Herders in Port Harcourt, Osun, Lagos, Enugu & Ondo. None Were Fulanis. The Common Currency is That We Send Fulanis Who Understand Cattle From The North &Are Less Expensive 2Help Manage The Cattle. Let’s Stop The Demonization & Focus on Solution IF WE WAN WELL!
#RUGA: I'm an Urhobo Herder That Operates a Hybrid Ranch Comprising Open Grazing & Ranching. So Are Many Nigerians in This Business. Cost of Feeding Cattle is Crazy When a MidRange Cow Consumes About 25kg of Fresh Grass & 20-50litres of Water Daily. Maintenance is a Concern! pic.twitter.com/gIo3F2x5Cw
— Retson Tedheke (@retsonbiz) February 11, 2021
I Have Consulted 4Herders in Port Harcourt, Osun, Lagos, Enugu & Ondo. None Were Fulanis. The Common Currency is That We Send Fulanis Who Understand Cattle From The North &Are Less Expensive 2Help Manage The Cattle. Let's Stop The Demonization & Focus on Solution IF WE WAN WELL!
— Retson Tedheke (@retsonbiz) February 11, 2021
