Anti-open Grazing Bill: Ohanaeze youths hail Senate

The Senate’s efforts to ensure that the Bill aims to create ranches in the states of herders passed the second reading have been praised by the Youth Wing of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide.

During an interactive session with newsmen in Awka on Friday, Mr. Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, the Acting National Youth Leader of the leading Igbo socio-cultural group, expressed his appreciation.

Sen. Titus Zam (APC-Benue North-West Senatorial District) sponsored the Bill.

On Wednesday, it made it through the second reading.

“A Bill to Establish a National Animal Husbandry and Ranches Commission for the Regulation, Management, Preservation and Control of Ranches Throughout Nigeria; and for Connected Purposes, 2024” is the title of the proposed Bill.

Okpalaezeukwu said the Bill would act as a preventive measure against the recurring conflicts between farmers and herders who live on the move.

He regarded farmer-herder conflicts as an ongoing disaster that had destroyed property, taken lives, and impacted the national economy.

He claims that creating ranches will regulate and oversee the needless and never-ending catastrophe.

“The basic responsibility of any government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens and open grazing is detrimental to it.

“Rearing of cattle is not an ethnic phenomenon, it has become a matter of national security and not something to be sentimental about.

“There are many countries that produce more cattle and do other dairy businesses than Nigeria but do not encounter such crisis, and that is because they do not engage in open grazing.

“We urge Nigerians to consider ranching as a viable option at this critical time,” Okpalaezeukwu said.

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