Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has given the cattle dealers association two weeks ultimatum to pay compensation to farmers in some communities whose crops were destroyed last year by herdsmen.

The South East zonal chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, MACBAN, Alhaji Idris Sadiq Gidado, stated this in an interview. He said they have N137,000 to pay the affected communities, adding that it was only Ufuma community that had outstanding compensation that would be paid in the next five days.

Gidado, however, said that so far, they have paid compensation to Ezeagu, Mbaukwu, Okija, Omo, Aguleri, Ayamelum and a few others.

He said the association and communities had entered into an agreement that if a herdsman destroys farmers’ crops, the owner of the cattle will pay heavy compensation to the farmers whose crops were destroyed.

“Cattle that were killed last year by aggrieved farmers in some communities were more than 100, but Governor Willie Obiano asked the communities to pay for 78 cattle whose cost stood at N50,000 each.”

According to him, the agreement was reached by the leadership of the association, cattle owners, community leaders, leaders of farmers association and government However, he said it was further agreed that if a cattle is killed, the community will produce the killer or pay compensation to the owner of the cattle at the current market value.

•Excerpted from a Vanguard report.