UMUAHIA—THE Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chikwendu Kalu has given the assurance that the anti-grazing bill currently before the House would soon be passed into law.
According to Kalu, work on the bill has been completed but the members were just doting the “is” and crossing the “ts” so as to get it right.
The Speaker who spoke Tuesday, at his Umuahia official lodge, explained that when passed into law, and security agencies adhere completely to its implementation, the lingering clashes between farmers and herdsmen would end.
The proposed law, he hinted, prohibits movement of cattle by road in the State, as cattle would be moved to the state by trucks or by rail.
“We are interested in getting the anti-grazing bill right. Work on the bill has been completed, it will soon be passed and it has a lot of advantages. The advantages are many.
“If Nigerians work within the ambit of the law, there would be no problem. I urge the security agencies to muster the courage to implement the law when passed, to the letter, to ensure the end of clashes between farmers and herdsmen. If they do it, the law would assure peace between herdsmen and farmers”, the Speaker said.
Giving more insight into the proposed anti-grazing law, Chikwendu said: “We must go the way of ranches. If you are bringing cattle into any part of Abia State, it must be through rail or trucks and they must be registered. Cattle will no longer move on the roads in the State.
“Movement of cattle within the state must be by truck not by road; there will be consequences for violators. With the law well implemented, both the farmers and the herders will be happy.”
