​Nigerians say “NO” to National Grazing Reserves Bills

Herdsmen depend on their cattle as their means of livelihood the same way farmers depend on crops in their farms. To feed their cattle, the herdsmen, armed with long sticks must lead the animals out early in the morning from their settlement into the bush. In the course of grazing however, the animals strayed into the cultivated farmlands and had a field day on the crops of the farmers.This naturally resulted inclashes between the aggrieved farmers and the cattle rearers using cutlasses, bows and arrows to settle scores. In recent times, cattle rustlers armed with sophisticated weapons entered the scene, killingthe herdsmen and herding the cattle away to be sold in other parts of the country. Herdsmen therefore hadno choice than to abandon their traditionallong sticks for AK 47 rifles with which they now have an advantage over the farmers in any of their confrontations.In a bid to curb curb these violent clashes, a bill, sponsored by Senator Zainab Kure, representing Niger Central in the Seventh Senate was presented for consideration but was rejected by the last Senate. The Bill has however been revived in the present political dispensation and presently before the House of Representatives.Titled; “National Grazing Reserve (Establishment)Bill 2016”, sponsored by Hon. Sadiq Ibrahim, it provides for the establishment of the National Grazing Reserve Commission which shall have power to among other things establish at least one Cattle Reserve in each state of the federation.The Commission is also mandated to:*Manage, control and maintain the Cattle Reserves;*Prescribe the persons who may be licensed to use the Grazing Reserves and determine the type and number of   stock permitted therein;*Prescribe the manner inwhich the Grazing Reserves may be put to use;*Fix charges for the Grazing Reserves;*Maintain and Ensure, inco-operation with the Nigerian Police, the security of lives and property within theReserve;*Provide for and issue grazing permits to persons grazing within the Reserves;*Develop infrastructure and basic amenities such as clinic, schools, etc within the Reserves;*Demarcate the land boundaries of the Grazing Reserves;*And prosecute persons who graze outside the Grazing Reserves and other offenders of the Regulations of the Commission.A cross section of Nigerians were thereforeinterviewed to share their views on the proposed bill before the National Assembly. Majority of the respondents condemned the move bythe Federal Government to establish Grazing Reserves for cattle rearers in each state of the federation arguing that it is recipe for national chaos. Cattle rearing is a business and the owners of the business should take care of their business and not being provided land belonging to other people.  There were some respondents who believed however that the bill has some merits but cautioned the government to tread cautiously.

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