Taraba Speaker Hails Buhari, Drums Support for Anti-Open Grazing Bill

Wole Ayodele in Jalingo

The Speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly, Hon. Abel Peter Diah, has hailed the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari since assuming office particularly his stance against corruption.

In the same vein, the Speaker charged all the well meaning people of the state to support the -open grazing bill presented to the House by the state governor, Darius Ishaku.

Diah, who stated this while fielding questions from Journalists in Jalingo weekend as part of activities marking the end of the 2nd legislative year of the current Assembly enjoined all Nigerians to rally round and support the president.

According to him “In all honesty, the president has done well in the past two years particularly his fight against corruption. He needs the support all well meaning Nigerians for him to succeed in this onerous task”

He equally commended the president for his efforts in developing the agricultural sector particularly his determination to make Nigeria self sufficient in rice, sugar and others saying the country would soon begin to reap the benefits of his efforts.

Shedding light on the the anti-open grazing bill which has passed the second reading and currently undergoing public hearing, the Speaker described the bill as a revolution that would be beneficial to all stakeholders.

He maintained that the bill would address some of the problems currently devilling so many parts of the country particularly the incessant clashes between herders and farmers.

He however debunked insinuations that the bill was targeted at witch hunting a particular group of people saying both farmers and pastoralists would benefit immensely from the bill when it is finally passed into law.

He specifically stated that the bill, which seeks to promote ranching, would engender improved and better life for livestock and herders saying ranching would breed healthier cattle and increased milk production

“I have cows that I ranched on the Mambila plateau. My cows are doing better than those roaming about because they are not under stress. So, ranching is something that should be encouraged because of the benefits inherent in it”

“This is a revolution government is bringing to better the lives of grazers, create jobs and harmonious coexistence between farmers and herders. It is high time we stop killings associated with open grazing activities. When passed and signed into law it would check activities of criminals hiding under the guise of grazing to perpetrate all forms of crime,” he said.

The speaker explained that the bill would not to stop grazers outside the state from coming into the state but stressed that those coming from outside the state would be given temporary permit for the purpose of identifying livestock owners.

The speaker also disclosed that the Assembly has passed a total of 19 bills and in the last two years all of which have been signed to law by the governor and operational in the state including 11 resolutions.