Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described the continued presence of cows grazing along roads and in developed parts of Abuja as a matter of national security, saying the issue requires urgent attention and honest conversations.
Speaking during a live media chat on Monday, Wike said efforts to address the challenge are often complicated by ethnic and religious sentiments.
“You talked about cows. That is an issue of national security. We must face reality,” he said.
“When you see people try to take action on certain things, some people come out with one kind of religion or ethnicity. Let the truth be told.”
The minister explained that the Federal Government is encouraging ranching as a lasting solution to the problem of open grazing within the nation’s capital.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu has supported the move, stressing the need to remove livestock from urban areas.
“The President has said, ‘Look, let’s do ranching and see how we can take these cows out of the city.’ It is an eyesore. It is not fair, it is not good.
“We have developed countries where they have cows; you hardly can see them. Go to Saudi, you can’t see the cows there,” Wike stated.
He also praised the Minister of Livestock Development for engaging with Miyetti Allah and other stakeholders in search of a sustainable solution.
Despite ongoing efforts, Wike admitted that the challenge has not been fully resolved and accepted responsibility for the situation.
“I apologise for that and take responsibility for that; up till now there are cows. But you should also face the reality.
“It is not easy as you are saying it here. You know the problem in this country, and you must come out to say this is the problem, we must tackle this problem, and we must give you support,” he said.
The FCT minister also addressed complaints about waste disposal in parts of Abuja, including Jabi and Garki, acknowledging that refuse may accumulate during public holidays but dismissing claims that the city is being overwhelmed by garbage.
