Controversial Grazing Reserves Bill Lands In Senate, Scales First Reading

herdsmen cowsssThe controversial National Grazing Reserve Agency Bill pending in the House of Representatives, has landed in the Senate.
The bill was introduced in the upper legislative chamber on Wednesday alongside another controversial bill – the National Ranches Commission Bill.
Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso (APC/Kano Central) and others are listed as sponsors of the National Grazing Reserve Agency Bill entitled: “National Grazing Reserves Agency (establishment etc) Bill 2016 (SB.292)”, while the National Ranches Commission (establishment etc) Bill 2016 (SB 293), had Senator Barnabas Gemade (APC/Benue North East) as its sponsor.
Both bills scaled the mandatory first reading on the floor of the Senate today.
Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC/Kebbi South), who read the general principles of the bills said, “do we take it that the bills have passed second reading?” to which senators responded with a deafening “No, not at all”.
The National Grazing Reserve Agency Bill pending in the House of Representatives has been criticized by a cross-section of Nigerians as a ploy by the Federal Government to grab and seize land from their original owners and give same to cattle rearers.
An attempt by former Senator Zainab Kure from Niger State to get the bill passed, failed in the sixth Senate when it was introduced.
The government at a recent public hearing organized by the Senate made a case for the establishment of grazing reserves as a panacea to the deadly conflicts between farmers and herders.
While some states have proposed establishment of ranches, the herders, under the aegis of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, have insisted that it is either grazing reserves or nothing.
MACBAN argued that establishment of grazing reserves in parts of the country is the only solution to farmers and herdsmen clashes.

1 COMMENT

  1. The only solution to the problem between herdsmen and farmers is the establishment of RANCHES in the North. If the herdsmen need quality feeds and grasses with protein, let them import it from the farmers in the South. There’s no free lunch anywhere!