ASHENEWS reports that a report by the committee on the reintroduction of the poll tax system in Niger State has observed that pastoralists or Fulani herdsmen in Niger State have ceased to enjoy dividends of governance.
This online platform reports that the committee was inaugurated by the past administration under Governor Abubakar Sani Bello in November 2021 in its bid to reintroduce the tax system in the state.
The report as presented by the Chairman of the committee who is also the chairman of, the Niger state council of traditional rulers and Etsu Nupe, Yahaya Abubakar on Wednesday at the Government House in Minna noted that poll taxation in its early days served as a key source of revenue for the government.
“Its abandonment manifested as not only a loss of revenues to state governments but neglect of state welfare programs for pastoralists that led to breaking down of peace and security in the rural areas in the form of banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping, communal conflicts, and insurgency.
“Since the cessation of Jangali (poll tax) and Haraji (adult tax) in northern Nigeria, the state government has lost a veritable source of IGR.
“We also observed breaches in local security architecture established in the rural areas.
Fulani herders have ceased to enjoy dividends of governance such as social services, and veterinary support programs in addition to neglect of grazing reserve.
“The re-introducing of Jangali will serve as an added security measure in making accountable the existence, number location, and activities of herders in the state due to its data collection deposit.
“This will help in reducing rural criminality and bring much-needed peace in the state,” the committee chairman said.
The report proposed nine key recommendations to the Niger State government meant to guide the state government in restoring the poll taxation system (Jangali) as well as the adult taxation system (Haraji).
The report which observed that the encroachment and neglect of grazing reserves in the state has led pastoralists in the state to move to greener pastures said that such transits have fueled clashes between them and farmers in recent times.
“Research by the committee showed that there are 11, 704 permanent ruga camps and 3,159 temporary ruga camps with a total population of 316,922 Fulanis spreading across eight emirates in the 25 local government areas of the state.
“23 grazing reserves with different levels of encroachment out of which 10 are gazettes and 13 are ungazetted.”
The report emphasized that the proposal to reintroduce poll tax otherwise known as Jangali in the Hausa language has been well received by Fulani pastoralists due to its identified benefits in the past.
It also recommended that the state government compensate those herders who lost their cattle to insecurity and cattle rustling.
“This is expected to help them rebuild their lives and reintegrate them into the animal husbandry business and also prevent crime.”
Also recommended was the amendment of the state Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries animal law of 1963.
