Cattle Colonies: Taraba Govt Defies FG, To Start Enforcing Anti-Grazing Law This Week | CNR

President Buhari 

Taraba State government is moving ahead with its anti-grazing law as the State's Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Yusufu Akirikwen, has revealed that arrangements have been perfected for the commencement of the anti-grazing law on Wednesday this week.

This is coming as the Federal Government has said it would commence the establishment of cattle colonies in 16 states that have indicated interest to make land available for herdsmen.

But Taraba State, alongside Benue and Abia have said there was no land for cattle colonies in their states. More states in Nigeria's Southern region will most likely toe the same part.

Mr. Akirikwen who made the disclosure in Jalingo, the State capital Sunday January 21, 2018 during an interview with the Punch newspaper said the Law which was signed by the State Governor, Darius Ishaku on June 24, 2017 will come into full force this week.

READ ALSO: Cattle Colony: Stay Away From Biafraland Or ... - MASSOB, IPOB Warn Fulani Herdsmen

"I am happy to tell you that immediately the bill was signed into law on June 24, 2017, Governor Darius Ishaku constituted two separate committees. The first one was meant to sensitize the cattle owners while the other was to sensitize the farmers as to the importance of the Law. The two committees went round each of the 16 local government areas of the state and explained the importance of the law to the people.

Responding to a question on the importance of the sensitization exercise, the State Attorney General said that the exercise was to make all concerned parties see why the law would serve their common good.

"It is just to advise them not to buy into the kind of instigation that could come from highly placed people like (Emir) Sanusi. This was apart from the process of enacting the law by the Taraba State House of Assembly. The House sat in the three senatorial zones in the state. The essence of conducting public hearing in the three zones was to accommodate the inputs of the residents into the law. Groups and individuals submitted memoranda in support of the law and it was eventually passed. Now that it has become law, the government has also taken steps to implement the law to its fullest.

READ ALSO: Cattle Colonies: Dino Melaye Fires Back At Gov Bello, Says No Land For Cattle In Kogi West

Asked what the State government will do differently to avoid a repeat of the Benue situation, the Commissioner said that it was wrong for anyone to link the ugly incidents in Benue to the implementation of the anti-grazing law.

"If anybody says that what happened in Benue was as a result of the implementation of the law, such a person it telling a lie. The law in Benue came about to solve the problem of persistent attacks on the farming communities in Benue. So, when people come out to say that the crisis in Benue was as a result of the herdsmen resistance to the law, I don't agree with them. The herdsmen have decided to take the law of the land into their hands even before the open grazing prohibition law came into place. The laws are part of the solutions to the incessant killings of innocent Nigerians. I am sorry to say this, but Nigerians should watch the Federal Government closely regarding the attacks and killings.

READ ALSO: Benue Massacre: Sack IGP Now - Southern Leaders Tells Pres. Buhari |

On whether they would make land available for the establishment of cattle colonies in Taraba state, he said they had been colonised by the colonial masters and cannot be recolonized by cows.

"What is cattle colony, if I may ask? The Benue State Governor has asked that question before. We have been colonised by the colonial masters, and now, you want us to be colonised by cows? Will they sit their in Abuja and acquire land across the states of the federation for cattle colonies? Whose land will they acquire?", the State Attorney General queried.