New Telegraph

Onitiri hails Lagos lawmakers for passing anti-open grazing law

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, yesterday, received commendation for timely enacting the controversial Anti-Open Grazing Bill into law.

Lagos politician and socio-political activist and critic, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, in a statement yesterday, said the lawmakers have done well in responding to and obeying the voice of wisdom, reasoning of elders, yearnings and aspirations of the entire people of the state.

The Southern governors, at a meeting held in Lagos recently, gave September1 ultimatum to all Southern state assemblies to enact Anti-Open Grazing laws to checkmate the unabated killings, maiming, kidnappings of farmers, raping of their wives and children and destruction of farm produce by arms-wielding Fulani herdsmen in various parts of the southern states.

Since the resolutions were adopted, many of the states have passed the law, while others were yet to give effect to the governors’ decision.

The Lagos State House of Assembly Anti-Open grazing law, in one of its provisions, prescribes 21 years jail term to armed herders indulging in open grazing in any part of the state.

Onitiri said this is the only way to forestall impending hunger and economic downturn in the southern states and put a stop to the incessant herders/ farmers’ clashes in the South.

The Meyiti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association, a few days ago, mocked the Southern governors that they could not give effect to their September resolutions because, according to the organization, they would not speak with one voice.

According to Chief Onitri, all the southern governors should ensure the Anti-Open Grazing laws should be passed to prove that they meant business and they could bark and bite.

The socio-political activist called on the state Assembly to also enact laws that would checkmate the nefarious activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state.

“The Lagos State government should, as a matter of urgency, also outlaw the illegal collection of fees by the NURTW which was put at a whooping N123 billion yearly.

The money should be channeled to develop other areas of the economy, like completion of the Lagos-Badagry Express Road; solve the problem of drainage and flooding in the city; and provide required infrastructures, and jobs for unemployed teaming youths in the state”, Chief Onitiri stressed.

Read Previous

We mustn’t allow insecurity, other challenges to divide Nigeria – Bauchi Emir

Read Next

Osoba, Idachaba, others move to restore dignity of media practice in Nigeria

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *