Senate rules out open grazing

The Senate on Wednesday demanded for banning of open grazing across the country.

This is coming less than 24 hours after the Northern Governors Forum in a Communique said open grazing of cattle is “no longer sustainable” in the country.

At the resumption of plenary session, the Senate in a motion sponsored by Senator Ajayi Borofice with over 100 other Senators asked States governors to implement the National Livestock Transformation Plan which is modern scheme design to eliminate transhumance in order to prevent farmers-herders conflict.

In his motion, Ajayi expressed dissatisfaction with the killings, kidnappings in Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Imo, Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger, Nasarawa and Kebbi States.

The emotion of the Senators rose across parties over the worsen insecurity across the country as the contribution of Senator Binos Dauda exposed all the underlying issues when he said the title of the motion should be changed to: “Menace of Fulani Herdsmen in Nigeria.”

But the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, quickly called the lawmakers to be careful not to link their statements to any particular ethnic group but it wasn’t enough to stop the gale of other indictments against foreign “Fulani herdsmen” that was to follow with Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele arguing that it was illegal for anyone to trespass on other people’s land in Nigeria.

In his contribution, Senator Abdullahi Adamu said it was wrong and unconstitutional for a State Governor to sack any Nigerian from any part of the country.

The Senate Minority Whip, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, quickly countered, arguing that the people being asked to leave are criminals and should be treated as such and should be “flushed” out immediately whether they are Nigerians or foreigners.

In his contribution, Senator Adamu Mohammed Bulkachuwa may have provided the greatest insights when he said not all the herders are Nigerians and narrated how foreign herders often cross through his border constituency into Nigeria to sack farmers.

According to Bulkachuwa, the attack by these foreign herders on local farmers have been on for at least 20 years, a view that was promptly attested to by the Senate President to have lingered for a long time even in his own Yobe State.

Speaking, Senator Biodun Olujimi said Nigeria is not paying sufficient attention to the problem and should have declared a “National Emergency” against insecurity as it did to tackle the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

There were several suggestions pushing strongly for the establishment of Community and State Police, effective border patrol command and better welfare package for the Nigerian security forces.

Consequently, the Senate asked President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the National Security Adviser, the newly nominated Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police to rejig the country’s security architecture.

The Senate also enjoined state governors to reinvigorate rural governance (local government system) and the Federal Government to check the proliferation of firearms.