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Open Grazing Bill: Lagos mulls 21 years Jail Term For fire arm bearing herdsmen

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3 years ago

September 7, 2021

Olu Emmanuel

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If the bill on open grazing and trespass of cattle on land sails through at the Lagos State house of Assembly, any herder found with firearms in the state risks 21 years jail term.

This was contained in a bill tittled ” Prohibition of Open Cattle Grazing Bill, 2021″ sent to the House by the executive.

At plenary Monday session lawmakers took turns to critically examine the bill condemning the indiscriminate moving of cattle by herders openly on farmlands and roads in the state citing the attendant effect of the nefarious act as posing a threat to peaceful coexistence of people in the country.

In his contribution, Hon. Bisi Yusuff (Alimosho 1) said the bill was long expected and need speedy passage, adding that the damages caused by open grazing in the state and Southwest was enormous.

Yusuff said “Open grazing has reduced food supply drastically. Cattle often eat up crops of farmers who most often borrowed money to farm. The act of this herders have created scarcity of food supply in the west. It is shameful that cattle moves along expressway, destroys markets.

“I am totally in support of the proposed 21years Jail term for defaulters”.

Commenting , Hon. Kehinde Joseph (Alimosho 2) described open grazing system as an aberration in 21st century, adding that the bill would help promote peaceful co-existence between herders and crop farmers.

Joseph said that the bill would also reduce crime and that by reducing crime it would help increase farmers productivity, calling for synergy among security agecies in enforcing the bill when passed into law.

In his contribution, Lukmon Olumoh ( Ajeromi-Ifelodun 2) suggested that High Court should be in position to try defaulters of the bill when passed into law,rather than Magistrate Court as proposed, adding that this will cure jurisdictional issues that may arise.

Hon. Wale Rauf ( Amuwo-Odofin 2), advised that the term ‘dangerous weapons’ in the bill should be well interpreted and defined before being passed so as to avoid unnecessary arguments in the future.

Contributing, Hon. Gbolahon Yishawu (Eti-Osa 1) said sighting of cattle on the streets and roads of Lagos was shameful and alarming, adding that a cosmopolitan state like Lagos should not entertain open grazing.

Yishawu said that open grazing was inimical to the economic growth of the state, saying that the bill considers the economic impacts of cattle rearing and crop farming to the economy of the state.

“Economic losses will be reduced. It is a bill that look at the economy of cattle rearing and crop farming”, said Yishawu.

Hon. Abiodun Tobun (Epe 1) said ” I support the bill based on conviction that open grazing brings a lot of embarrassment to Nigeria. This is a country you will see cattle entering classrooms, all this social malaise is totally unacceptable”

He said the activities of the herders threatens security of the nation and that the bill should be given the strength to protect enforcers of the law if the cattle die in their custody.

While adding his voice, Hon Setonji David (Badagry 2) suggested that the Lagos state Neighbourhood Corps (LNSC) should be listed among the security agencies to enforce the law, saying that the police had already been overstretched.

David ” In order to avoid crisis we need be preemptive. I witnessed one of the herders’ misbehaviour while carrying out oversight at a school in the state as cattle blocked the roads. We needed to wait for them to leave before we continue our journey. Open grazing is the crime not ownership of cattle”.

However, the Speaker of the House, Rt (Hon) Mudashiru Obasa, described the bill as apt an one that attends to current realities with attendant effect of ensuring harmonious relationships between herders and farmers and protect the environment of the state and the southwest zone.

The Speaker also suggested that the bill should make provision for the registration of herders and prepare them for ranching.

“Allocating percel of land is not enough but there should be training of those who would go into ranching,” he said noting that ranching is expensive and required adequate preparation to bring them up to speed on current realities with respect to ranching process.

Obasa further said there should be financial support for those who wants to go into ranching given the enormous financial implications it demands.

He, however, committed the bill to the House Committee on Agriculture and Cooperative and directed it to report back on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the house also read for the first and second time, A bill for a law to Impose Value Added Tax (VAT) in the state, thus kick-starting a process which will guarantee the state more earnings that could be deployed into provision of basic amenities.

Concerning the bill on VAT, Speaker Obasa said it would lead to “increase in revenue and increase in infrastructural development. This is in line with fiscal federalism that we have been talking about.”

Obasa said the VAT law when passed, would help the state meet challenges in its various sectors. He also urged the Lagos State government to do everything legally possible to ensure the judgement of a Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, is sustained even up to the Supreme Court.

He lamented a situation where about 500 billion is generated from Lagos State while 300 billion is generated from other southwest states and paltry are given to the state as share from the central pool.

“It is an opportunity for us to emphasise again on the need for the consideration of true federalism if this is granted the call for special status for the state may have been as well addressed,” he said.

He then commited the bill to the house committee on Finance for further consideration.

Other lawmakers who contributed during plenary include Hon. Adedamola Richard Kasunmu, Hon. Rasheed Makinde and Hon. Sanni Okanlawon and Hon. Femi Saheed.