Anti – Open Grazing Law Is Meaningless, Makes No Sense, Why I Will Not Implement It Nasarawa – Al Makura

The Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Al – Makura has said that the anti-open grazing law is meaningless and therefore will not be passed or enforced in the state, channelstv.com is reporting.

The governor while speaking to some guests at the government house in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital said the law is meaningless because provision has to be made for the herdsmen and farmers before the law can be enforced.

“It is meaningless, it has no sense. Nasararwa is not going to implement the anti-grazing law because it is meaningless. It has no sense whatsoever but any state has self-determination to do what it likes,” he said.

It will be recalled that the Benue State government, on Wednesday, November 1, officially effected its ban on open grazing throughout the state. Governor Samuel Ortom on May 22, signed the anti-open grazing and anti-kidnapping, abduction, cultism, and terrorism bills into law.

Al- Makura in response to this, on Thursday said Benue State cannot be blamed for this decision but insisted that Nasarawa State will not carry out such law.

“You cannot blame Benue because they have done it but Nasarawa will not do it because it doesn’t have a meaning.

“You have to study the situation and also provide for both the farmers and the herdsmen before you embark on it. You must have a regulatory mechanism that will ensure the compliance to this. If you don’t have that and you just go ahead to make the law, it doesn’t make any sense,” he said.

The governor said there is nothing to worry about and the relationship between herdsmen and farmers in Nasarawa state is cordial.

“The time has not reached for us to make the law because we have not seen anything to worry about. The relationship between the farmers and the herdsmen is okay and the problems that are arising from such problems is things that have been there for hundreds of years and it can never stop.”

He said the migration of Fulanis is a normal situation but “when we blow that beyond proportion and make it a calamity, it is not the best.”

The governor said all situations is under control in the state and stakeholders are working in a synergy between the farmers and herdsmen to ensure that there is no problem.