Nation
Food Security: Bishop Onuoha urges FG to set aside 2027 politics, tackle herders’ violence
A Methodist cleric, Bishop Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha (Ph.D), has called on the Federal Government to prioritize resolving the persistent farmer/herder clashes across the country, warning that failure to act decisively could plunge Nigeria into deeper food insecurity.
Speaking on Sunday in reaction to recent attacks by herders in Plateau, Benue, and other states, Bishop Onuoha decried the government’s continued inaction, stating that the lack of a holistic response has emboldened violent herders to escalate their attacks on farmlands and farming communities.
The 2013 Global Peace Award Winner expressed concern over reports of herders uprooting cassava and feeding it to their cattle, describing such actions as blatant sabotage of national food security. He emphasized that no meaningful agricultural progress can be achieved when farmers are being killed and their farms destroyed without consequences for the perpetrators.
He urged the Federal Government to act swiftly, noting that the farming season is already underway and continued violence could discourage many from cultivating their lands, ultimately threatening the nation’s food supply and stability.
“The responsibility lies squarely on the shoulders of the Federal Government,” Bishop Onuoha stated. “If we are truly serious about achieving food sufficiency, then farmer/herder clashes must not be treated with kid gloves. The government’s silence and lack of meaningful punishment for those hiding under the guise of herders have only worsened the crisis.”
Onuoha, who was the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Abia State during the 2023 elections, criticized the politicization of national issues, urging the Tinubu-led administration to focus on governance rather than 2027 political ambitions.
“Nigerians need to eat to survive before they can even think of 2027. This is not the time for politics. This is the time for action. The government must rise above political distractions and prioritize the lives and livelihoods of its citizens,” he said.
Reacting to calls for the federal government to declare herders as terrorists, Bishop Onuoha said authorities must focus on identifying and isolating criminal elements, rather than stigmatizing an entire group.
“If terrorists have infiltrated any group, including herders, then security agencies must rise to the occasion. Work with communities to fish out the criminals. Don’t give a bad name to a whole profession — it hurts the innocent and solves nothing,” he added.
Bishop Onuoha urged the government to show bold leadership and ensure justice is served to all, warning that continued neglect of the crisis will only worsen food insecurity and increase the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.