Taraba Assembly Passes Anti-open Grazing Bill

Taraba State House of Assembly has passed the state Open Grazing
Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Bill 2017 into law.

The passage of the bill was consequent upon the report of the
ad-hoc committee which conducted public hearing across the three
senatorial districts of the state which was submitted to the
assembly and adopted by the ‘Committee of the Whole’ on Tuesday,
July 18, 2017.

Though there were agitations against the bill in some quarters
particularly the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, the
bill was however supported by a cross section of the state who
presented 91 oral and written memoranda to the committee across the
three senatorial districts.

Speaking on the bill, the Speaker of the assembly, Abel Peter
Diah, commended the members of the ad-hoc committee for doing a
very thorough job within the time frame given to it, saying
posterity would be very kind to them.
He said the law would become operative immediately it is assented
to by the state Governor, Darius Ishaku, who forwarded the
executive bill to the assembly.

Diah beckoned on the people of the state to put aside religious
and ethnic differences as he maintained that government, through
the instrumentality of the law, would protect all citizens of the
state irrespective of trade, tribe and religious affiliation.

The members of the assembly were unanimous that the law would go
a long way to prevent destruction of crops, farm and community
ponds, as well as loss of lives and properties occasioned by
frequent violent clashes between farmers and herders.

Besides regulating livestock production and managing the impact
of open livestock farming on the environment, the law also seek to
promote job creation and investment opportunities in livestock
production and enhance greater productivity in the livestock
business.

Part of the features of the law is the power vested in the
governor to establish the state Livestock and Ranch Administration
Control Committee which is to be made up of no fewer than 13
members.

The committee is saddled with the responsibility of keeping a
register of all ranches and ranch owners in the state as well as
come up with modalities and conditions for the operations of
livestock farming in the state.

Reacting to the passage of the bill, the state Chairman of the
Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in the state, Sahabi
Mahmud, said the law would not see the light of the day as the
association has concluded plans to drag the assembly and the state
government to court to seek redress.

He, however, appealed to his people to remain calm just as he
assured them that the association would do everything within the
ambits of the law to ensure the rights of Fulanis are not trampled
upon in the state.

Taraba State House of Assembly has passed the state Open Grazing
Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Bill 2017 into law.

The passage of the bill was consequent upon the report of the
ad-hoc committee which conducted public hearing across the three
senatorial districts of the state which was submitted to the
assembly and adopted by the ‘Committee of the Whole’ on Tuesday,
July 18, 2017.

Though there were agitations against the bill in some quarters
particularly the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, the
bill was however supported by a cross section of the state who
presented 91 oral and written memoranda to the committee across the
three senatorial districts.

Speaking on the bill, the Speaker of the assembly, Abel Peter
Diah, commended the members of the ad-hoc committee for doing a
very thorough job within the time frame given to it, saying
posterity would be very kind to them.
He said the law would become operative immediately it is assented
to by the state Governor, Darius Ishaku, who forwarded the
executive bill to the assembly.

Diah beckoned on the people of the state to put aside religious
and ethnic differences as he maintained that government, through
the instrumentality of the law, would protect all citizens of the
state irrespective of trade, tribe and religious affiliation.

The members of the assembly were unanimous that the law would go
a long way to prevent destruction of crops, farm and community
ponds, as well as loss of lives and properties occasioned by
frequent violent clashes between farmers and herders.

Besides regulating livestock production and managing the impact
of open livestock farming on the environment, the law also seek to
promote job creation and investment opportunities in livestock
production and enhance greater productivity in the livestock
business.

Part of the features of the law is the power vested in the
governor to establish the state Livestock and Ranch Administration
Control Committee which is to be made up of no fewer than 13
members.

The committee is saddled with the responsibility of keeping a
register of all ranches and ranch owners in the state as well as
come up with modalities and conditions for the operations of
livestock farming in the state.

Reacting to the passage of the bill, the state Chairman of the
Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in the state, Sahabi
Mahmud, said the law would not see the light of the day as the
association has concluded plans to drag the assembly and the state
government to court to seek redress.

He, however, appealed to his people to remain calm just as he
assured them that the association would do everything within the
ambits of the law to ensure the rights of Fulanis are not trampled
upon in the state.