It is no longer news that Gov Ugwuanyi of Enugu State signed the anti grazing Act into law. He signed it because it is the most appropriate thing to do now. There have been incessant attacks by herders on farmers and harmless citizens in many parts of the country. Some of the cattle herders will deliberately enter into people’s farm and garden to graze their livestock. This has brought crisis and avoidable deaths of our people. It have brewed danger and hatred between the herders and farmers/communities. Some state governments like Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa etc have come out in support open grazing.
The governors of Southern States in Nigeria met severally and condemned open grazing with one mind. Many of them have gone ahead to barn open grazing in their states and backed it up by law. Gov Ugwuanyi is one of them.
Why Gov Ugwuanyi signed the bill into law is because it is a private business. Open grazing is one of the worst way to rear livestocks all over the world. The government of Enugu State is not gaining anything in open grazing at all. It is loss all through.
Those engaged in open grazing have no registered address and so cannot be taxed. The constant defecation of their livestock on the road deface the environment and make the environment disease prone. The wandering livestock grazes on people’s farm thereby causing avoidable quarrel between the herders and the people. Livestocks that are moved along long distances for grazing are not as healthy and fit as the livestocks fed in the ranches.
Gov Ugwuanyi knows the economic, social and cultural importance of the bill and did not hesitate to sign it into law. Livestock farming is not exclusive to the Northerners alone in Nigeria but open grazing is exclusive to them. Southern governors have seen that these roaming livestock caused avoidable road accident especially in the night. Even in day time, there have been fatal road accident caused by cattle. Some of the herders has been discovered to be engaged in unwholesome acts like rape, stealing, armed robbery etc and this have not gone down well with the people.
Gov Ugwuanyi is one of the governors that have been speaking against open grazing since he came into office. He had often frowned at how these herders have become a menace to the people and is bent on fighting it. That is why he signed it into law.
Now that anti grazing act has come, herders have shifted their movement schedules to moving in the wee hours of the day. Many of them are rapidly leaving Enugu State and going to nearby states. Gov Ugwuanyi is not quarrelling with any peaceful business man in the state but is against anyone who want to destroy another person’s business without regards. Gov Ugwuanyi have charged security agencies especially forest guards, vigilante groups, neighborhood watch groups etc to be on red alert and report any defaulting herder to the appropriate authorities for immediate action. With this, Enugu State will enjoy more peace, our internally generated revenue will increase and there will be more food for the people. This is a timely act and we all say that Enugu State is in the hand of God.
Bibian Anekwe News added – “As a leader…your principal job is to create an operating environment where others can do great things.” .
Written by
Leonard Ugwu
A political Analyst
MEDIA TEAM MEMBER OF ENUGU DI N’AKACHUKWU MOVEMENT
