The Oyo State House of Assembly on Thursday passed the Anti-Open Grazing Bill into law, saying it will foster peace and promote agricultural business in the state.
The bill, which was passed at its plenary, is to avoid continuous damage to farmlands and end loss of lives and unquantifiable investment to constant clashes between herders and crop farmers.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, appealed to residents of the state to ignore falsehood and misconception about the prohibition of open rearing and grazing of livestock bill capable of triggering hostility between the herders and local farmers’ communities.
According to him, a public hearing was held in which critical reviews and opinions of all concerned stakeholders, individuals, groups and experts were accommodated and considered before the bill was passed into law.
The Speaker said: “We assured the people that all suggestions and Memoranda of Understanding submitted by various groups, agencies and representatives of different communities and tribes on the open rearing and grazing regulation bill 2019 was painstakingly looked into before it was passed into law.
“I am appealing to everyone to shun the rumour spreading that the law is to make life and business unbearable for some targeted group or set of people. Rather, it seeks to promote peace among residents and different tribes in Oyo State.”
He maintained that the Ninth Oyo State House of Assembly, through the law, was only seeking legal framework to address the issue of open rearing and grazing as well as encourage and protect the economic activities of others engaged in agriculture-related ventures and the residents.
