Gov. Akeredolu signs anti-grazing bill to Law

The Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, has signed the anti-grazing bill into law. The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, disclosed this in a statement.

The bill, which the State House of Assembly earlier passed, was signed on Tuesday.

The governor noted that the bill’s signing is in line with the resolution Southern Governors’ Forum reached its last meeting in Lagos and agreed that September 1 should be the deadline for Governors in Southern Nigeria to sign the Anti-Open Grazing Bill into Law.

The statement reads in part: “This is worthwhile, and a very laudable development aimed at stemming needless instances of skirmishes, conflicts as well as infractions on the enviably peaceful disposition of the good people of Ondo State.

“It is very pertinent to aver and indeed, reiterate that the Law shall rather engender a more cordial, mutually benefiting relationship amongst residents of the State irrespective of ethnicity, religion or creed. For emphasis, no particular group of persons is the target.”

Therefore, the state government has said it will “pursue with vigour, through lawful means, to ensure strict compliance to the Law.

Details of the new Law will be made accessible to the public for adequate information, more depth of understanding on contents, and other relevant areas.

Recall recently that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the recommendations by the Committee to review “with dispatch” the 368 grazing sites across 25 states in the country “to determine the levels of encroachment.”

However, The Northern Governor Forum, the Southern Governors Forum, and even the Miyetti Allah group have concluded that open grazing is obsolete.

Recall also that the nation has battled insecurity, including farmer-herder clashes. The Federal Government’s efforts to settle the crises by introducing Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) have been welcomed with strong opposition.