The Enugu State House of Assembly has held a public hearing on the Prohibition of Open Grazing and Regulation of Cattle Ranching at the Assembly Complex in Enugu.
In his remark at the hearing, the Speaker of House, Edward Ubosi, said the anti-open grazing bill is not targeted at anybody or group but to promote peaceful co-existence in the state.
Ubosi, represented by his deputy, Uche Ugwu, said the bill, pending before the assembly, is aimed at ending farmers/herders crisis, which has led to needless destruction of lives and properties in the state.
Ubosi said that the public hearing was to afford the residents to make their contributions to the crucial bill, noting that every opinions expressed would be considered during the passage of the bill.
According to the speaker, the bill, when accented by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, would forestall farmers/herders clashes as well as killing and raping of women by herdsmen.
The joint committee chairman, Amaka Ugwueze, hinted that the ban on open grazing will ensure protection of the lives and properties of Enugu people, which is the primary responsibility of the government.
The lawmaker noted that both economic and social activities will be at a standstill, especially in the absence of security, stressing that bill will further reduce the incidences of cattle-related road accidents.
In their separate submissions, the chairman of Enugu state Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzo and the Chairman of Town Union President Generals, Paully Eze, said there are in support of the bill, which according to them is long over due.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Matthew Idu, pointed out that the menace of farmers/ herders crisis is much in Uzo-Uwani, emphasizing that his ministry is always inundated with complains from farmers on the destruction of their crops.
Speaker on behalf of the farmers in the state, Paschal Echezona, expressed excitement over the introduction of the bill, which he said they have advocated before now.
Echezona charged the state government to apply the use of technology in locating all the cattle ranches in the state, when the law becomes functional.
However, the chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association, MACBAN, in South East, Siddiki Gidado, requested the assembly to give them one month to articulate the association’s position on the bill.
Gidado argued that the group were notified of the public hearing 5 days ago, a situation that made it difficult for them to come up with a position because of the technicalities involved.
According to him, it is important for their members to aware of the development to avoid the misconception that the Enugu state government has given them huge amount of money to support the bill.
