Pastor Ogbole Launches Book on Famers/Herders Crisis
By Prosper Okoye
Senator representing Benue South at the Senate, Patrick Abba Moro, has described the book written by Dave Ogbole, as a veritable instrument for understanding the farmers/herdsmen crisis in Nigeria.
The Senator said “I was going to make a proposal and synopsis of a thesis on: Radicalization- deradicalization and integration of Bokoharam elements in the North-East; because of the dearth of literature in this area, it poised a difficult task to achieve, it was like starting from the beginning.”
Senator Moro further said the book will fill a gap in literature, at the book launch ceremony held Monday, 13th December, at the Dreams Events Centre- Makurdi.
In his literature review on the the book- ‘Herdsmen Crisis in Nigeria- the Benue Peace Option,’ Prof. Zacharys Anger Gundu, VC Uni- Mkar said the intellectual work is an eye opener to the true cause of the contemporary herdsmen attacks on the Benue people…. the law enacted in May 2017, is the ‘Benue state peace option,’ that was birthed from collaborations and conflict resolution proposals from government stakeholders, civil society groups, the youths and the government of Nasarawa state.
“The Fulani herdsmen phenomenon was trapped in a web of controversies, nomenclature, ambivalence and antagonism, as well as blame games.
“As the author argued, ‘the fundamental goal of the book is to present our account of the souring relationship between Fulani West Africa, and the various ethnic nationalities in central Nigeria.’ Arguing from the Bob Marlian dictum: that he who feels it, knows it all. Ogbole instrumentizes the power of language laced with puns, innuendo, satire, inventives, and proverbs to deliver a unique account of one of the controversial challenges confronting us as a people and as a nation.”
Dr. Tivlumun Nyitse, Chief of Staff to Governor Samuel Ortom, who represented his boss at the event, stated that “the issue of herdsmen and farmers conflict in Benue state or else where, is beyond the issue of farmers and herders clashes.
“I think we are yet to understand the sociology of these peoples’ actions, but I am sure God will reveal it to us very soon.”
Dr. Nyitse also said the issues which Pastor Ogbole has addressed in his book are pivotal. “I am a victim,” he lamented. “I lost my four cousins in one night, I lost all my houses in the village. I am also an IDP of a different kind.”
The Author, Dave Ogbole, in his remarks said the reason he embarked on writing the book is to join in the fight to save the soul of Benue. That “history will remember Governor Samuel Ortom for standing firm with the open grazing law, despite the challenges he faced.”
To add spices to the event was the investiture of Fellow, Council of the Chartered Institute of Leadership Education and Development on the author.
