Grazing Reserves Act Of 1964 Is Applicable To The North Only — Falana Tells Buhari

*Advise The President To Promote Ranching Instead Of
Reviving Grazing Route

Nigeria’s foremost human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN),
says the Grazing Reserves Act of 1964 which President Muhammadu
Buhari, is bent on reviving was only applicable to northern Nigeria
in the 1960s.

He argued that the Grazing Reserves Act of 1964 was not a law of
general application because the “Western Region, Mid-Western Region
and the Eastern Region had ranches for animal husbandry.”

Falana, therefore, advised Buhari to promote ranching instead of
attempting to revive grazing routes.

The senior advocate said this in a statement on Sunday titled,
‘President Buhari Should Embrace Ranching’.

The activist stated that in 2016, the Federal Government
announced that it had acquired 55,000 hectares of land in 11 states
for grazing of cattle.

“Shortly thereafter the Federal Government adopted cattle colony
or Ruga Policy. But due to the opposition which greeted the concept
of cattle colony in many quarters the Federal Government jettisoned
the policy and adopted the Livestock Transformation Policy
including ranching in 2018,” Falana recalled.

He noted that the Chairman of the sub-committee on farmer/herder
crisis, Dave Umahi, who is also the Governor of Ebonyi State,
disclosed that the Federal Government would bear 80 per cent of the
sum of N100bn earmarked for ranching while participating states
would support with N20bn and provision of lands for the
programme.

In 2019, the Central Bank of Nigeria also announced plans to
provide loans for ranching and milk production.

Falana said last month, the Chairman of the Northern Governors
Forum, Governor Simon Lalong, announced that all the states in the
North had adopted the National Livestock Transformation Programme
and called on the Federal Government to release funds to willing
states to start.

Lalong was quoted as saying that some states had begun processes
to end open grazing in their states.

“Kaduna has a ranch with Dano milk as a pilot; Plateau has sent
a bill on ranching to the state assembly, Zamfara, Kano, Taraba,
Niger, Nasarawa have started ranch constructions,” the Plateau
State governor was quoted as saying.

Falana argued that in view of the unanimous decision of the
Northern Governors Forum and Southern Governors Forum to ban open
grazing and adopt ranching, President Buhari ought to drop the
search for grazing routes and ensure the success of the National
Livestock Transformation Programme of the Federal Government.

*Advise The President To Promote Ranching Instead Of
Reviving Grazing Route

Nigeria’s foremost human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN),
says the Grazing Reserves Act of 1964 which President Muhammadu
Buhari, is bent on reviving was only applicable to northern Nigeria
in the 1960s.

He argued that the Grazing Reserves Act of 1964 was not a law of
general application because the “Western Region, Mid-Western Region
and the Eastern Region had ranches for animal husbandry.”

Falana, therefore, advised Buhari to promote ranching instead of
attempting to revive grazing routes.

The senior advocate said this in a statement on Sunday titled,
‘President Buhari Should Embrace Ranching’.

The activist stated that in 2016, the Federal Government
announced that it had acquired 55,000 hectares of land in 11 states
for grazing of cattle.

“Shortly thereafter the Federal Government adopted cattle colony
or Ruga Policy. But due to the opposition which greeted the concept
of cattle colony in many quarters the Federal Government jettisoned
the policy and adopted the Livestock Transformation Policy
including ranching in 2018,” Falana recalled.

He noted that the Chairman of the sub-committee on farmer/herder
crisis, Dave Umahi, who is also the Governor of Ebonyi State,
disclosed that the Federal Government would bear 80 per cent of the
sum of N100bn earmarked for ranching while participating states
would support with N20bn and provision of lands for the
programme.

In 2019, the Central Bank of Nigeria also announced plans to
provide loans for ranching and milk production.

Falana said last month, the Chairman of the Northern Governors
Forum, Governor Simon Lalong, announced that all the states in the
North had adopted the National Livestock Transformation Programme
and called on the Federal Government to release funds to willing
states to start.

Lalong was quoted as saying that some states had begun processes
to end open grazing in their states.

“Kaduna has a ranch with Dano milk as a pilot; Plateau has sent
a bill on ranching to the state assembly, Zamfara, Kano, Taraba,
Niger, Nasarawa have started ranch constructions,” the Plateau
State governor was quoted as saying.

Falana argued that in view of the unanimous decision of the
Northern Governors Forum and Southern Governors Forum to ban open
grazing and adopt ranching, President Buhari ought to drop the
search for grazing routes and ensure the success of the National
Livestock Transformation Programme of the Federal Government.