Open Grazing Prohibition Bill passes second reading in Benue

Terkimbi Ikyange, Speaker of the Benue House of Assembly, Wednesday promised that the Open Grazing Prohibition Bill, pending before the House, would be passed before the end of the year.
Ikyange said during the plenary to mark the commencement of the second Legislative Session in Makurdi that the assembly would conduct a public hearing on the bill in order to get inputs from critical stakeholders.
According to him, the bill, which is an executive one, has passed through second reading and is awaiting the public hearing.
He called for more commitment, dedication and timely sittings by the lawmakers to enable the assembly clear the backlog of pending legislative matters.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Benue State “Open Gazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Bill”, in addition to prohibiting open grazing, also seeks to provide for the establishment of ranches and the Benue State Livestock, Ranches Administration and Control Committee and Livestock Special Marshals Corps.
The bill is expected to promote new methods of animal husbandry, job creation and investment in livestock farming as well as prevent the destruction of crops and community ponds, settlements and property by open grazing of livestock.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker, James Okefe, has formally decamped from the opposition People’s Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives’ Congress.
In a letter addressed to the speaker and read on the floor of the House, Okefe cited division and crisis in the PDP as the reason for his defection.
Okefe said: “The division in PDP has led to two people claiming the national chairmanship position of the party. Even at the Benue State level, there are two executive committees. That informs my decision to dump the PDP.’’