By Adewale Kupoluyi
Many Nigerians were
greatly disturbed by the hasty decision suggesting that anti-grazing bills, as
operational in some states in the country, should be repealed. The Minister of
Defence, Brig-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd), had spear-headed the abrogation move, arguing
that laws enacted by states prohibiting open grazing should be suspended.
Dan-Ali had called for the suspension of the implementation of anti-grazing
laws in some states while instead negotiating safe routes for herders. For the
Defence Minister, suspension of the law would reduce tension and restore peace
in the country.
The Anti-Open Grazing Law seeks to outlaw open
rearing and grazing of livestock and provides for the establishment of ranches
and livestock administration, wherever the law is operational. It is currently
being used in Benue, Ekiti and Taraba states.
Abia is working on the passage of the bill. In Ekiti, the law prohibits open
grazing between the hours of 6pm and 7am. In Benue,
it enforces an absolute ban on open-grazing throughout the state and in Taraba,
there is a proviso that it would be implemented gradually after massive
enlightenment and awareness campaigns across the state. The legislation further
prohibits movement of livestock and requires livestock owners to ranch them by
criminalising free grazing and movement of livestock by foot. The implication
of this is that the law seeks to end the age-long practice of nomadism,
particularly, among the Fulani herders, whose activities in recent times have
heightened violent clashes with farmers in many states across the country.
