From: Linus Oota, Lafia
The Nasarawa State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), has kicked against the Bill before Nasarawa State House of Assembly for a law to ban grazing in cities and schools, describing the move as a calculated attempt to dislodged Fulani from the state.
Chairman of the association in the state, Muhammed Husseni, told newsmen in Lafia, that Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has done a lot to ensure peace among herders and farmers in the state and would not assent to a Bill that will dust up crisis, adding that there was no public hearing to take their inputs into consideration by the members of the assembly.
According to him, “the sponsor of the Bill, Hon Daniel Ogazi, did not mean well for the people of the state. He is not interested in peace in Nasarawa State. What did he do when all the grazing routes were blocked. You cannot stop Fulani from grazing without providing alternatives. Already the seven grazing reserves in the state have been occupied by farmers. Governor Almakura cannot sign such a wicked Bill into law”
Hussaini continued, “When or where and who do the house of assembly inform or invite for public hearing for their inputs, suggestions and recommendations, we are the stakeholders that their laws affects directly and they needed to call us and consider our input, Benue have just signed anti-grazing bill into law and if Nasarawa follow suits, we have nowhere to go and that will have adverse effect on farmers, what we want in Nasarawa State is peace and not crisis and the bill will cause crisis”
Hussaini said that a total seven gazetted grazing reserves were encroached upon by farmers and over 65 percent of cattle routes were closed by farmers in the state and in many occasions this action has been the cause of crisis, “What did the state house of assembly do to resolve this lingering conflict.”
He continued, “We consider this move by the assembly as a sinister under guise of grazing law to entrench tribal and sentimental motives to dislodged Fulani herders from the state because the sponsor of bill, Daniel Ogazi, who represents Kokona east state constituency has never for once intervene or engaged in mediation between herders, farmers conflict in his Kokona LGA.”
“The sponsor of the bill had never for once considered to invite Fulani leaders in any capacity in his constituency to resolve conflict or promotes peace and unity between herders and famers,” he added.
The Assembly had last week passed into second reading a law to make provision for the control, prohibits and to restrict grazing of animals in urban cities, schools and other designated areas to curtail crisis between herders and farmers.