Miyetti Allah to Buhari, NASS: Stop Govs From Implementing Anti-open Grazing Laws

...Describes the legislations as satanic, obnoxious

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), on Monday, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to do everything possible to stop governors from implementing the anti-open grazing laws enacted in some states, describing the laws as satanic and against their age-long tradition.

Recall that the Southern Governors Forum at their meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, four months ago, announced a ban on open grazing of cattle across states in the region.

The governors also met later and instructed states in the region to enact anti-open grazing laws in their domain latest September 1, 2021 to curb incessant clashes between herders and farmers.

Consequently, a number of states in the region have enacted anti-open grazing laws while others are in the process of getting such laws enacted.

MACBAN Secretary-General, Engr. Alhassan, made the request during a press conference in Abuja on Monday

He said the law would undermine the relative peace and stability currently enjoyed in the local communities, threaten the social order and exacerbate cattle rustling.

His words: “We want the National Assembly and Mr. President to intervene and stop the current attempts by some state governments to criminalise our means of livelihood of cattle-rearing through enacting of satanic and obnoxious laws they call Anti-Grazing Law targeted at Fulani pastoralists.

Furthermore, the group said: “The Federal Government should create a ministry for livestock and fisheries as obtainable in many African countries. Nigerians should adopt strategies in responding to changes of climate change as it affects livestock production not negative laws.”

Alhassan noted that anti-open grazing laws would destroy livestock production and send millions who depend on the livestock value chain into poverty.

The Miyetti Allah leader also called on the President Buhari administration to take an inventory of grazing reserves in the country and fully develop at least one grazing reserve in each senatorial zone.

He appealed to the National Assembly to rescue the pastoralists by resuscitating and passing the Grazing Reserves Commission Bill and other livestock management bills initiated by the previous assembly.

The Miyetti Allah spokesman described the anti-grazing laws and policies as” nothing but populist and corruption driven agenda designed to destroy pastoralists’ means of livelihood.”

He said the laws do not take into cognizance the sociology, economic, production system, climate variations, and other push factors that are inherent in pastoralists’ movements across ecological zones.

The group further claimed that the laws will destroy livestock production and send into poverty millions of people that depend on the livestock value chain (Butchers, transporters, livestock dealers, and consumers who are used to affordable sources of milk).

“The laws will undermine the relative peace and stability currently enjoyed by the local communities and threaten the social order.

“The laws will exacerbate cattle rustling in the local communities as criminal gangs and states sponsored vigilantes will use the opportunity to institutionalize their nefarious activities of cattle rustling.

“The laws will lead to serious humanitarian crisis as families will be destabilize and markets and economic livelihoods will be disrupted and the laws will lead to massive cross border migrations that will create further security challenges”, the group said.

“These dangerous and satanic laws must be nib in the bud by the National Assembly to safeguard the constitution as it a potentially greater danger to the corporate existence of the country.

“These oppressive laws and hostile policies being enacted by state governors are fundamentally going against the Fulani Pastoralist culture, economic interest and constitutional rights.

“It is important to note that inter-state movement of pastoralists is analogous to interstate commerce, which is an exclusive preserve of the legislative powers of the National Assembly under item 62 of the Exclusive Legislative List.

“To this effect, any action taken by any state Assembly that is in conflict with an above section of the 1999 constitution as amended is null and void”.

While referencing the African Union and ECOWAS Protocols/regulation of pastoralists and trans- humans, the MACBAN spokesman asked the Federal Government to domesticate the law in the country.

According to him, if the protocols are properly documented and implemented, it will effectively tackle the scourge of illegal migration in Nigeria.

The group further called for the incorporation of pasture development in the implementation of the Great Green Wall Programme in combating densification and the preservation of small water bodies.

“A review of the land use Act is long overdue to accommodate the interest of all land resources users, particularly pastoralists,” the group added.