Northern Elders Forum has criticised the Federal Government for failing to decisively address the clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country.

Elders in the forum also blamed the government for failing to evolve a nationwide transition programme for herdsmen to embrace ranching as a solution to the persistent clashes.

They spoke about the problem which they believed had led to the loss of lives, the destruction of property and displacement of Nigerians in several parts of the country at an extraordinary session with the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, in Markurdi.

According to them, the government had failed in intervening in sorting out the matters nationwide, asking it to among other things address all the inter-ethnic issues between farmers and herdsmen in the north for peace to reign.

Governor Ortom in an attempt to mobilise support for the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Bill 2017, urged leaders in the region to speak up and find solution to the raging herdsmen/farmers conflict.