Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
“The House has passed the bill and I have to assent it, it becomes a law from today that if you do anything to the contrary you will be punished by the law. Any herdsman caught with firearms or any weapon while grazing in Ekiti now will be charged with terrorism."
Contentious Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, has finally nailed the herdsman’s coffin, as he signs the anti-grazing bill, recently passed by the state House of Assembly, into law.
The governor’s assent indicates that any herdsman caught grazing with arms or any weapon in Ekiti state would now be charged with terrorism and be made to face the law accordingly.
While signing the bill into law, Governor Fayose said his government would always interface with the traditional chiefs on security issues, development of the state and anti-grazing law among others to give valuable information on activities of those who plunder state resources such as trees, farmlands and others.
Speaking about the anti-grazing law, he said: “My government took the bill to the House after what happened in Oke-Ako some months ago. The House has passed the bill and I have to assent it, it becomes a law from today that if you do anything to the contrary you will be punished by the law. Any herdsman caught with firearms or any weapon while grazing in Ekiti now will be charged with terrorism.”
Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Kolawole Oluwawole had read the contents of the anti-grazing bill to a congregation of traditional chiefs and rulers in Ekiti state who were invited by the governor for the meeting at the Osuntokun hall of the government house in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital.
According to Oluwawole, the state government is already working with local government officials to apportion portions of land for grazing to all local government authorities in the state.
“Grazing activities must be from 7am to 6pm on daily basis. The government shall allot certain portion of land to each local governments for grazing. Anyone caught grazing on portions of land or any farmland not allotted by government shall be apprehended and made to face the law.
Any herdsman caught with firearms and any weapons whatsoever during grazing shall be charged with terrorism. Any cattle confiscated shall be taken to government cattle ranch at Erifun in Iworoko community. Any farm products destroyed by the activities of any caught herdsman shall be estimated by agricultural officer and the expenses of the estimate shall be borne by the culprit. Any herdsman who violates any of these rules shall be imprisoned for six months without option of fine.”
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
E.I.C: Albert Eruorhe Ograka
