President not happy with Nigerian media's coverage of herdsmen, farmers conflict

chika ebuzor

September 2, 2018 10:01 PM

Buhari also appealed to the media in Nigeria to make an effort to understand cultural and historical implications of the matter.

President Buhari has said that the media in Nigeria has not taken time to understand the cultural issues surrounding the clashes between herdsmen and farmers in most part of the country.

He also appealed to the media in Nigeria to make an effort to understand cultural and historical implications of the matter.

Buhari said this during an interactive session with Nigerians living in China.

This was made known to newsmen by the President’s spokesman, Garba Shehu on Sunday, September 2, 2018.

According to SaharaReporters, Buhari said "On herders and farmers clashes in Nigeria, the President told Nigerians in the Diaspora that while security agencies are doing their best to curtail the clashes, the Nigerian media need to complement the efforts through objective and informed reportage.

"The President appealed to the Nigerian media to make an attempt at understanding the cultural and historical implications of some of the misunderstanding between herders and farmers.

"To my disappointment, the members of the press in Nigeria do not make enough efforts to study the historical antecedents of issues that are creating national problems for us."

Blame it on climate change

The President also explained that the shrinking of Lake Chad is the reason the herdsmen are migrating to get food for their flock.

"On herders and farmers clashes in Nigeria, the President told Nigerians in the Diaspora that while security agencies are doing their best to curtail the clashes, the Nigerian media need to complement the efforts through objective and informed reportage.

"The President appealed to the Nigerian media to make an attempt at understanding the cultural and historical implications of some of the misunderstanding between herders and farmers."

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Dead Ghadaffi is to blame

President Buhari had earlier blamed the conflict between herdsmen and farmers on Late Libyan president, Muammar Gaddafi.

In April 2018, the Nigerian President, during his visit to the White House, told the US President, Donald Trump that herdsmen from Nigeria don’t carry guns.

Politicians are responsible

Also, Garba Shehu, Buhari's Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, blamed politicians who are against the president for the herdsmen and farmers conflict in the Middle Belt.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on several occasions, has criticised the President's handling of issues concerning herdsmen in the country

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