Miyetti Allah Plateau Chapter Rejects Anti Grazing Bill, Urges House Of Assembly To Shun Agitators

Yakubu Busari

Miyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) Plateau State chapter, Chairman Alh Nura Muhammad Abdullahi has urged Plateau State House of Assembly to shun the agitators of anti-grazing bill palaver in the state.

He disclosed this during an anti-grazing bill protest to Plateau State House of Assembly.

Muhammad stressed,”It has come to our notice that the Plateau State House of Assembly has received a politically motivated bill, with the name citizen bill seeking for a law banning open grazing in the State, put forward by a group known as G17″.

We swiftly react and view the agitations hovering for the ban of the open grazing in the State, as contained in the said bill as nothing than trying to incite trouble into the State that is trying as much as possible to consolidate on the attained relative peace being enjoyed for a longer period of time.

He said that, we are also convinced that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which is the supreme law of the land, which guaranteed freedom of movement and the right of citizens to live in any part of the country of their choice and embark on any legal business of their choice without any let, hindrance, restriction or molestation.

According to him, the bill has also negated all international, regional and sub-regional laws, conventions, charters and treaties which also guaranteed the above rights including trans human to all and sundry.

Adding, He some of the provisions of the bill are barbaric anti-human and is born out of ethnic and religious sentiments. The bill also poses serious threat, intimidation, and harassment against the herders

Alh Nuru Muhammad cautioned that, as Nigerians and people of Plateau State, we will not just stay back to look at troublemakers trample on our fundamental rights, and in this regards, we vehemently reject any attempt by the State lawmakers to formulate a harmful law, onto our existence, he added.

He categorically makes it clear that we will not succumb to any politically sponsored, “citizen bill,” seeking for passage into law to ban open grazing in our state. We understand that the G17 are agitating for the seizure of cattle route, grazing reserves and grazing corridors in the state give it out to farmers and that we will again not allow it to go unchallenged, we are therefore urging the lawmakers to desists from doing what will pitch the state into avoidable confusion.

“We are urging the Plateau State House of Assembly, to shun any agitations hovering for the ban of the open grazing in the State”, he noted.

As peaceful and law-abiding citizens, we will continue to not only support the peaceful process, harp on the need to live in peace with one another, but are seriously working in ensuring that all live in peace, we therefore, urge and caution our people not shiver with the ill-conceived bill agitating for the ban.

We are against any plan for cattle ranching by the government and as being proposed by the G17, talk less of telling us to buy our land to cave our cattle; we hope our positions are best understood.