Kill the grazing Bill in national interest

Those behind the controversial and dangerous grazing Bill are pushing the erroneous argument that it will help in checking the incessant attacks of armed Fulani herdsmen on farming communities in many parts of the country.

For nearly fifteen years, the attacks, which started in the Plateau areas later spread to Nasarawa, Benue anda number of  states in the South, with herdsmen boldly brandishing sophisticated weapons unchecked by the law enforcement agencies. They invade communities, lead their livestock into farms, break into people’s landed property and displace people from their communities. They kill, maim, kidnap, rob, rape and harass citizens with reckless abandon.

An indication that the Muhammadu Buhari regime is mulling the establishment of grazing reserves nationwide emerged recently when the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Audu Ogbeh, disclosed that the President had directed him to establish the reserves in the North, and then “move South”.

Already, at least two Bills are reportedly being considered in the House of Representatives, though the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has denied the existence of such in the National Assembly. The Bills in question are attributed to Hon Sunday Karimi (PDP Kogi) and Hon Sadiq Ibrahim (APC Adamawa), with an executive Bill reportedly being expected from the Presidency soon.

A version of the reported Bills, which is circulating in the social media is a barefaced recipe for national disaster if it is allowed to see the light of day. It provides for a National Grazing Commission, which will have the power to confiscate people’s land in all parts of the country, pay them compensation and hand such over to Fulani pastoralists. People who disagree with the confiscation can only sue if the Attorney General of the Federation grants them the permission to do so.

We call, once again, for all moves towards the establishment of grazing reserves and cattle routes to be halted forthwith. The opposition to it is mounting from all corners of the country because it will seize land from indigenous communities and hand them over to pastoralists, which will smack of ethnic expansionism.

It will violate the constitutional rights of Nigerians and set the stage for conflicts which the army might have difficulty in controlling. Such a Bill is capable of destroying the unity of the country. It should not even be tabled for debates at the National Assembly because it will polarise the country and possibly lead to unpleasant consequences.

We restate our call for the modernisation of animal farming practices in Nigeria through a ranching policy that conforms to world standards. This will increase productivity, give herdsmen access to better life and eliminate ethno-religious conflicts between pastoralists and farmers.

We reject the grazing Bill.