ENUGU MOVES TO AVERT CLASHES BETWEEN FARMERS, HERDSMEN

ENUGU -  THE Enugu State Government has taken another major  step to avert the deadly clashes often reported between farmers and cattle herdsmen in the state with the approval of  monthly subventions to the State Farmer/Pasturalist Peace Commission.

Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke, who said this at a briefing at the end of the State Executive Council meeting in Enugu, said the government is to establish a Psychiatry/Mental Health Care Unit at the State Social Welfare Centre, Emene, Enugu.

Ugwoke noted that the decision to place the commission on subvention list was to ensure  its smooth running and check the intermittent clashes between crop farmers and livestock rearers in the state.

He said the commission has been mandated to develop grazing reserves in parts of the state to reduce the clashes.

The psychiatric health care unit, he said will be run by ESUT Teaching Hospital, Enugu, for the treatment of the mentally- challenged persons kept at the centre by the Ministry of Gender Affairs.

Ugwoke said the Ministry of Gender and Social Development would still handle the social welfare services at the centre.