ABUJA – The House of Representatives yesterday called on the National Security Council to rescind its decision calling on states to suspend their Anti Open Grazing Law.
This was sequence to matter of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. John Dyegh representing Gboko/ Tarka Federal Constituency of Benue State, during the plenary session
Hon. Dyegh refuted the decision of the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali where he said that the Fulani Herdsmen crises in Nigeria predate the present administration, and urged states which have implemented the Anti Open Grazing Law to suspend it.
He noted that for the past seven years, the clashes between Fulani herdsmen and Farmers have been on the increase with so many lives lost with several villages overtaken by herdsmen.
The lawmaker further noted that in Agatu area of Benue state, for instance, over eight hundred people were killed and over twenty villages were razed down.
“The unprovoked Agatu killings by Fulani Herdsmen that claimed Over 800 persons on record and over 20 villages ravaged made the Benue eminent sons and daughters to come together and find a lasting solution to the problem and after robust debates they came up with the recommendation of Anti-Open Grazing Law and called on the State Government to process it by a Bill into law”.
Hon. John Dyegh disclosed that it was as a result of these attacks that the affected states debated extensively before coming up with the law banning open Grazing.
He maintained that the constitution of Nigeria empowers the state assemblies to make laws for the good governance of their respective states, and expressed worry on the decision of the minister of defence.
He cited instances where some States made laws against trading in alcohol and prostitution and are obeyed and wondered why he was particular about Anti Open Grazing.
Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara who presided over the plenary session later called on the Federal Government to submit a supplementary budget to the National Assembly to develop colonies immediately in those states that have agreed to donate land, as the House also invited the minister of defence to appear before it for interaction tomorrow being the seventh day of June, twenty eighteen on the matter.
