Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has said the reason why his state is yet to sign the anti-open grazing bill into law is that it is senseless in having a law that cannot be implemented.
Recall that Southern states governors’ had held a meeting in Asaba, Delta state capital, earlier this year where they resolved to implement an anti-open grazing law, prohibiting open rearing of cattle.
Subsequently, the governors set a deadline of September 1 for the promulgation of the law, which eleven southern states have since enacted, including Rivers, Enugu, Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Lagos states.
Speaking at a stakeholders town hall meeting in Benin on Monday, Obaseki said his state is one of the few states that haven’t obliged the resolution of southern governors, noting that it is important to first address the root of the rancour between herders and host communities.
“We are one of the few states that have not signed the bill into law, and the reason is simple. To sign a law is very simple, it doesn’t make sense to put out a law you cannot enforce.
“The best way of enforcing a law is to bring everybody together to be part of that law. We have a crisis in our country, it is deeply rooted, there are different causes why these are happening, let us go to the root of the causes and resolve it from there.
“People have said that we have lived a hundred years together in harmony before now, why are we now having this problem today.
“If we don’t go to the reason why then we will be scratching the surface. Let us start by understanding why we are having this challenge. To sign law is very easy, it doesn’t make sense to put out a law that you cannot enforce.
“The anti-grazing law in my view is to deal with some perception. I just want to tell you that this is not an issue between Christians and Muslims, it is not an issue between north and south, it is not an issue between Edo people and Fulani people.
“As long as we have decided that we will eat meats and drink milk, we will now have to sit down and rearrange the business on how we will get the people who are producing the meat on how they must organise themselves.
“Let us not play politics with this issue, let us deal with this issue honestly and openly. There are security implications because some people have now joined and using these herders to perpetuate insecurity.”
The governor maintained that some cattle herders are carrying out legitimate businesses, hence it is important to identify the criminals.
