GRAZING BILL: NIGERIA ARMY ASSURES SAFTEY IN BENUE STATE.

 

 

 

 — 22nd November 2017

If reports of the three major Socio cultural groups in the state, including the Mdzough U Tiv, ldoma National Forum and Omi Ny’lgede of Benue State on the implementation of the Open Grazing Prohibition law is anything to go by, the Nigerian Army may have decided to assist in maintaining law and order with an assurance to deploy its personnel to the state to protect the lives and property of the people against any resistance to the law by suspected militant herdsmen.

The groups claimed Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has assured to the deployment of soldiers to assist civil police in keeping the peace in the state.

The promise came following the alarm raised by the leadership of the three major Socio cultural groups in the state, including the Mdzough U Tiv, ldoma National Forum and Omi Ny’lgede over alleged threat by the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore to invade the state with herds of cattle to resist the newly enacted law in the state.

Speaking, on Tuesday, on behalf of the three socio-cultural groups, President General of the Mdzough U Tiv, Chief Edward Ujege said the delegation, through its advocacy had been able to obtain a pledge from the Army chief that troops would be on standby to assist the police in case of an invasion.

Ujege, in a chat with newsmen at the end of the groups’ second leg advocacy visits across the country, said the leaders had also written the leadership of the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Navy and Nigeria Air Force, seeking their support for the successful implementation of the grazing law.

Chief Ujege explained that the ethnic leaders had also petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate President over the matter, to draw their attention to the issue and also solicit their support for the smooth implementation of the law.

Ujege, who noted that the move had started to yield results, explained that the proactive action taken by our socio-cultural organisations has also made the Nasarawa State Government to take precautionary measures to hinder the herdsmen/militia from using the state as launching pad to invade Benue State.

“The responses to our advocacy have been very encouraging with about seven states now contemplating the passage and domestication of similar law in their states, we therefore commend Governor Samuel Ortom for setting a revolution that would change livestock breeding and animal husbandry in Nigeria.”

He therefore appealed to all Benue indigenes to rally round the Governor and give him all the support he requires to make the mission and all his other programmes successful.