Afenifere Rejects Grazing Commission Bill.

James Sowole in Akure

The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, on Thursday rejected the Grazing Commission Bill sponsored by Senator Zainab Kure from Niger State and which had scaled through the second reading.

Afenifere stated its position at a news conference addressed by its leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti in his residence in Akure, Ondo State.

Fasoranti, who was flanked by the organisation’s secretary, Chief Seinde Arogbofa, described the bill as obnoxious and unacceptable to the Yoruba Nation.

This position of Afenifere came just as the Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko said the proposed law cannot work in Ondo State.

He said the proposed law rather than solving the problem would aggravate the problem.

According to Fasoranti, the bill seeks to turn private cattle rearing into a national affair by setting up a Federal body to take care of interest of herdsmen against the interest of other occupations.

He said the bill if passed into law would forcefully take land from state government and individual owners in violation of the Land Use of Act and all legal means of land holding for the purpose of grazing reserves.

The octogenarian also noted that the bill also goes further to prescribe a fine of N500,000 or five years imprisonment or both for the owners of the land if they are found on such land taken over by the commission.