Northern House Minority Caucus Backs Open Grazing Ban, Restructuring

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The members of the Minority Caucus from the North in the House of Representatives have declared their support for the Southern Governors’ resolution banning open grazing and calling for restructuring of the country.

The caucus called on President Muhammadu Buhari to heed the genuine advice of governors from the South and immediately address the nation to assuage frayed nerves.

The caucus said it was happy that the Southern Governors had finally come to terms with the negative effects of open grazing, which states in the North Central and other parts of the North have been battling with for decades.

In a statement issued yesterday and jointly signed by Hon. Amos Gwamna (Kaduna), Hon. Solomon Maren (Plateau), Hon. Rimande Shawulu (Taraba),Hon. Mark Gbillah (Benue), Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf (Kogi) and Hon. Usman Sokodabo (FCT), the caucus stressed that the decision of the governors was apt.

It added that the governors’ resolutions were the only solution to the worsening insecurity and general discontent among ethnic nationalities in the country.

It stated: “We, members of the minority from the north hereby call on President Muhammadu Buhari to heed the genuine advice of governors from the South and immediately address the nation to assuage frayed nerves.

“The president should also put machinery in place for the commencement of the process of restructuring the nation and initiate a legislation to end open grazing, which has been at the centre of the lingering insecurity across the nation”

The caucus noted that in order to regain the confidence of the majority of Nigerians, the President must begin to redress his skewed appointments, which had unfortunately divided the nation along ethnic and religious lines.

It said, “We commend the governors for taking the bold move to speak against open grazing and other ills bedeviling the nation. Benue State had the foresight and enacted a law banning open grazing and was closely followed by Taraba state.”

The caucus said it was unfortunate that both States have not received the desired support from the federal government thereby creating room for some elements to undermine the implementation of the
law.