The Ebonyi State Government says it has enacted law on anti-open grazing.
Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ebonyi State, Barrister Cletus Ofoke, stated this in a chat with journalists at the weekend in Abakaliki.
Ofoke said the law was enacted as far back as 2018 and was named Ebonyi Miscellaneous Offences Law, 2018.
According to him, the law addresses all issues relating to herders and farmers activities in the state.
He added that following the recent resolution of the Southern Governors Forum in Asaba, the state government revisited some parts of the provisions of the law and further strengthened it to be at par with the Asaba resolution.
“Sometime in 2018, the leadership of Myeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), led by their chairman and the secretary, were here. Also, remember that I’m the chairman of State committee on herders and farmers relationship.
“In 2018, we had an understanding with the leadership of MACBAN who came and we outlined our challenges with their brothers who are living in Ebonyi State.
“They also made their own representation and at the end, we had an agreement. That agreement culminated into the enactment of Ebonyi Miscellaneous Offences Law, 2018.
“That law addresses all issues relating to farmers and Herders activities in terms of open grazing, under age grazing, so on.
“If you have followed the resolution of the Southern Governors Forum in Asaba, you would agree with me that what they resolved was that any state that had not enacted anti-open grazing law should do that and of course, any state that had enacted and there are areas they didn’t touch should do well to incorporate such.
“And so in Ebonyi State, what we did was to strengthen part of the provisions of that law to be at par with resolution at Asaba. So, in Ebonyi State, we have anti-open grazing law,” Ofoke explained.
