we’ve gone beyond this stage of looking for grazing routes-Falana

A Human Rights Activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has criticized the Presidency for approving the review of grazing reserves in 25 states.

Falana stated this yesterday during his appearance on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics. He noted that: “we’ve gone beyond this stage of looking for grazing routes”.

“As far as the law is concerned, the President cannot (with profound respect) be talking of looking for grazing routes in 2021, Nigeria.

“The Northern Governor Forum, the Southern Governors Forum, and even the Miyetti Allah group have all come to a conclusion that open grazing is obsolete,” he added.

Falana’s comment follows the President’s approval of recommendations by the Committee to review “with dispatch” the 368 grazing sites across 25 states in the country “to determine the levels of encroachment.”

The Committee also recommended, among other things, that maps and geo-mapping/tagging of sites, analysis of findings and report preparations, as well as design appropriate communication on Grazing Reserves and operations should be produced.

Recall 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.

Falana noted that: “We need a national resolution of this crisis. We need a scientific solution. We need a modern solution to this problem.”
“State governors are already investing in ranching”.