‘It didn’t bring peace to Benue’ — Miyetti Allah kicks against anti-open grazing law

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has kicked against the signing of the anti-open grazing law in Ondo state.

On Tuesday, Rotimi Akeredolu, the state governor, signed the anti-open grazing bill into law.

The governor said the move is in line with the resolution of the southern governors that all states in the region should make a law prohibiting open grazing before September 1.

Speaking during a programme on Arise Television, on Thursday, Usman Baba-Ngelzerma, MACBAN secretary-general, said Akeredolu should learn from Benue where the same law has not brought peace to the state four years after it was signed.

“We are civilised people and we know that the responsibility of making laws lies in the state house of assemblies and we know that once a law is made by the state house of assemblies and assented to by the governors, that becomes a law, whether we like it or not, whether good or bad,” he said.

“But there are processes to be followed in making laws, those processes are: get all the stakeholders through public hearing, hear them, know how the law is going to solve their problem but has this been doing in making the Anti-Open Grazing Law? It has never been done.

“In most of the states, none of our members have been invited for public hearing and make inputs to the law and this law is done to affect us 100%, to affect our members 100%. We are part of the critical stakeholders that are supposed to be invited to hear our views and protect our positions and that of the government of the states where we exist.

“So, we will wait and see how this law is going to be implemented but I will like to draw the attention of Ondo to Benue where a law has been put in place. Go and appraise the Benue law, has it succeeded in bringing peace to Benue? It has never succeeded in bringing peace to Benue. Rather, it has further aggravated the situation to becoming worse, day in day out.

“Laws are supposed to bring harmony and understanding in a community.”

Baba-Ngelzerma said ranches must be established before the implementation of the law banning open grazing.