S/East, S/South Houses of Assembly reject grazing bill

THE legislators of the South East and South South House of

Assemblies have rejected the controversial Grazing Bill presently
before the Senate, saying that the bill should not be considered in
any of the House Assemblies in the two regions.
This was even as the legislators have urged the Federal
Government to restore the amnesty programme as a way of
quelling the resurgent militancy in the Niger Delta.
Arising from their joint session in Owerri, the Imo state capital, the
legislators said they are going to pass a bill restricting the
proposed grazing bill in the two regions.
Speaking during the first ever joint plenary held at the Imo State
House of Assembly, the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly,
Dr. Acho Ihim who presided over the joint plenary, noted that the
joint session has become necessary because of their shared social,
economic, religious and even political interest, which will afford
them the opportunity to discuss their collective problems.
Ihim who is also the Vice President of Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association (CPA), said that the apparent
marginalization of the two regions which is evident in the
distribution of national wealth, adding that the deprivation of the
people in terms of equity, justice and fairness as well as incessant
attacks on the people of the zone, gruesome murder of their kit
and kin by the Fulani herdsmen killer squad even in their bedrooms
are critical issues that require genuine solution to free the zone
from the menace.
Moving a motion titled “Alternative to Militancy and Harmonization
of Southeast and South-South position on Grazing Bill Proposal’,
Hon. Blessing Nwagba of the Abia State House of Assembly, said
that they cannot keep silent while their constituents are being
killed by Fulani herdsmen all in the name of rearing cattle.
She pointed out that the cattle rearing business is a private
venture, adding that those involved should take care of their
business.
The lawmaker noted that the growing insecurity and culture of
impunity being perpetrated by the Fulani herdsmen must be
checked.
In his contribution, Hon. Hilary Bisong of Cross River state said
that since the people of the South-east and South-south are
predominately into farming, fishery and other businesses, if the
Federal Government plans any grazing reserves for the Fulani
herdsmen, it should also provide reserves for the farmers and
fishermen, adding that the federal government should not think of
using the people’s common wealth to settle a segment of the
country.
He equally noted that the real owners of the cows are rich men
who should establish ranches for their cattle as it is the practice
elsewhere and that public resources cannot be used to fund
private businesses.
Similarly, a legislator from Bayelsa State wondered if any person
from the southeast and south-south can go to the North and start
farming in any land without permission.
Hon. Frank Nwaka of Ebonyi State said that the zones have
suffered so much deprivation, decimation and loss of lives, adding
that no life can be exchanged for a common animal, while insisting
that cows should not be allowed to wander about as if they are
sacred cows.

The Deputy Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon.
Ugonna Ozuruigbo submitted that the total rejection of the grazing
bill proposal has no option, revealing that the bill when passed will
have a commission with a chairman to be appointed by the
President to allocate lands to Fulani herdsmen and that the
persons who have forfeited their lands cannot go to court, adding
that their petition will only be approved by the Attorney General of
the Federation for it to be given attention, while commending the
southeast and south-south lawmakers for condemning the grazing
reserve bill in strong terms. He said that the grazing bill has
nothing good to offer to the country, especially the two zones but
that it will cause more communal clashes.
They resolved that the Southeast and South-South House of
Assemblies should pass bill restricting the grazing reserves bill,
while urging the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to
step up action, by calling on the security agents to fish out the
persons behind the atrocities meted out to the regions and provide
the necessary security for the people.
The lawmakers of the two zones also resolved that task forces
comprising security agents be set up to checkmate the excesses
of the Fulani herdsmen
They also called on the southeast and south-south governments
to set up panel of inquiries to ascertain the reasons behind the
menace.
In the same vein, the law makers called on the Federal
Government to look into the grievances of the militants and find
ways of addressing their agitation.