Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have thrown their weight behind the Anti-Open Grazing Bill in a bid to prevent environmental hazards. The Speaker, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Mudashiru Obasa while commending the southern governors for taking this bold initiative said, “It is good we have also taken part in a law that will regulate the activities of cattle rearers in the State. It is a Bill which when it becomes Law, will ensure harmonious coexistence between cattle rearers and farmers.” He added that the population of the cattle rearers should be identified, considered, and registered in order to prepare them for ranching, as the idea of ranching is new to them.
Rt. Hon. Obasa noted that “As a Government we have a role to play towards achieving this, allocating a parcel of land for ranching is not enough. Taking them away from what they are used to into a new idea will be entirely different to them, so there must be a process. We must consider training and financial support for the cattlemen to get used to ranching as this is the best form of rearing.” Adding that the Bill is cogently appropriate, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu said it is a Bill of circumstance which will reduce economic losses in terms of food security. Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Kehinde Joseph mentioned that the Bill is very specific and emphatical, as it checks the activities of the cattle rearers, reduces crime and promotes economy in the State. He tagged open grazing in 21st century as an aberration.
Hon. Femi Saheed asserted that Lagos State as a proactive State with the anti-open grazing bill will balance out the activities of the pastoral farmers, addressing inter-ethnic and religious clashes. Hon. (Engr.) David Setonji, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Security & Strategy noted that concerning the establishment of enforcement of the Bill, the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Watch, LNSC personnel be involved. Other Honorable Members who contributed during both readings were of the opinion that open grazing would not be the best idea for Lagos State considering the fact that Lagos is a cosmopolitan State, turning to a Smart City. The Speaker thereafter committed the Bill to the House Committee on Agriculture to report on Thursday.
