The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has condemned Ondo State governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, for signing the anti-open grazing Bill into Law.
The governor had on Tuesday signed the anti-open grazing bill into law to prohibit the open grazing of cattle, as well as curb insecurity in the State.
Akeredolu said he assented to the bill in line with the resolution of the Southern Governors’ Forum which set September 1 as the deadline to end open grazing of livestock across the region.
But the MACBAN Secretary-General, Usman Baba-Ngelzerma, accused the Ondo State House of Assembly of not following due processes in making the anti-open grazing law.
He stated during an interview on Arise TV that MACBAN members were not invited for a public hearing and to make inputs to the law before it was signed by the governor.
Baba-Ngelzerma disclosed that Ondo State government failed to establish ranches before the implementation of the law banning open grazing.
He, however, asked the Ondo government to learn from Benue State, where the same law has not brought peace to the four years after it was signed.
The MACBAN scribe added that the anti-open grazing law has further aggravated the insecurity situation affecting the state.
He said: “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 law, whether we like it or not, whether good or bad.
“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 has been invited for a public hearing and makes 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 become worse, day in day out.
“Laws are supposed to bring harmony and understanding in a community.”