Obaseki sends anti-grazing bill to Edo House of Assembly

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had on Tuesday, sent a bill on restriction of open grazing of cattle and other livestock in the state (EDHA) to the Edo State House of Assembly.

The leader of the House, acknowledging the presentation of 24 copies of the proposed bill to the Assembly, said that the “bill had been slated for consideration on a later date to give room for more consultations and recommendations by members.”

The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Marcus Onobun, at plenary disclosed that members of the House and several stakeholders in the state have made inputs into the bill to make it people orientated.

Governor Godwin Obaseki had delayed his promise in October 2021 to present a draft of the proposed Edo Anti-Grazing Bill to the House of Assembly for legislation at the end of October 2021. He, however, fulfilled the promise on Tuesday, raising hope of addressing the insecurity crisis in the state.

Several states, which include Rivers, Ondo, Oyo, Lagos, Delta, Bayelsa, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti, Osun, among others, have since passed the anti-open grazing bill into law. The Plateau State government has also sent a bill to the state House of Assembly prohibiting open grazing in the state.