Open Grazing Ban: Police Indifferent As Rivers Activates Enforcement With Backing Law
GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike signing, on August 19, of The Open Rearing and Grazing Prohibition Law No 5 of 2021 of Rivers State meant the activation of enforcement of the state ban on open grazing.
The Governor on the occasion said it was inimical to development and peace for any state to condone opening grazing of cattle.
Cattle rearing, he noted, is agricultural business and the law, which has specified ranching, is so intended in order to stem clash between herdsmen who go to destroy farmland, crops, and having problems with farmers that lead to fighting and killing of themselves.
“It is no longer a story. All of us know what our people have suffered in terms of this open grazing. Today, all Nigerians have come to accept the reality that open grazing is no longer fashionable. Even our brothers in the north have agreed that it is no longer fashionable,” he emphasized.
The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN), said the law became imperative because it was impossible for the State to enforce the resolution of the Southern Nigeria Governors Forum on the ban on open rearing and grazing of livestock without an enabling law.
“You will all recall that on May 11,2021, the Southern Nigeria Governors Forum met in Asaba and adopted series of resolutions, most critical being that open rearing and grazing of cattle will remain banned throughout Southern Nigeria. His excellency, Governor of Rivers State was part of that meeting.
“But we realised that we don’t have any extant law criminalising or prohibiting open grazing. And so it has become necessary for the office of the Attorney General of Rivers state to propose a bill for consideration by the State Executive Council.”
With the law now in force, Adangor said, it has, “criminalised, prohibited open rearing or grazing of livestock in Rivers state. If you look at that bill, it is divided into four parts.
First part deals with objectives of the bill; that is what the bill intends to achieve and then also deals with the establishment of the state and local government livestock and ranch administration and control committees.”
Prof. Adangor explained that livestock rearing activities will only be permitted within the precinct of a ranch and such ranch would have been certified by the State government.
He added, The second part deals with establishment of ranches and issuance of ranching permit. Third parts deals with prohibition of open rearing and grazing of livestock offences and penalties therefor.
“The final part of the bill deals with miscellaneous provisions including power to arrest, detain and impound trespassing livestock and the jurisdiction of the court to try offences.
“In summary with the law, no person is allowed to openly graze livestock in Rivers State, except within the confines of a ranch. And to establish a ranch you must apply to the state committee for approval. And that committee having regard to the guidelines it is going to issue, may or may not issue approval to establish a ranch.”
Police keep mum
However, one concern over effective enforcement of the new Rivers law against open grazing is the ominous silence of the state Police command. The apparent dilemma of the force is how well they will enforce same against President Muhammadu Buhari’s apparent opposition to the law.
Confronted with the basic question, the Police, Rivers Command, under Commissioner of Police, CP, Friday Eboka, has not offered a word as to whose order they would obey, the Open Rearing and Grazing Prohibition Law No 5 of 2021 of Rivers state or President Buhari’s dissent to the development.
Only time, through any breach of the law in Rivers would tell whose side the police would join in the bargain.
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