The Youth wing of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide has thrown its weight behind the National Assembly for allowing the bill for an Act to ban open grazing and establish ranches scale second reading.
Earlier this week, the bill scaled second reading after a heated debate among members of the Senate.
The bill will serve as an antidote for clashes between farmers and herders.
Speaking to newsmen recently on the development, the Acting National youth Leader of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Mr Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu commended the Senate for ensuring that the Bill scaled second reading, describing the debate that ensued at the floor of the Senate, as the characteristics of democracy, where people are allowed to air their opinions.
Describing farmers/herder’s clashes as a recurring decimal that has taken so many lives, destroyed property, and affected the Nigerian economy, Mr Okpalaezeukwu said that ranches must be established to control and manage the incessant and unnecessary farmers/herder’s crisis.
He maintained that the only way to manage the farmers/herder’s crisis is by the establishment of ranches as open grazing is costing Nigerians lives and property, food security as well as destroying the economy.
According to Mr Okpalaezeukwu, the basic responsibility of any government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens and open grazing is detrimental to it.
He disclosed that he is in touch with the leader of the Miyetti Allah in the Southeast and he has told him that the killer herdsmen are not part of them, and that they are even endangering the lives of genuine herders.
While noting that rearing of cow is not an ethnic phenomenon, Mr Okpalaezeukwu however, said that it has become a matter of national security and not something to be sentimental about as there are many countries that produce more cows and do other dairy businesses than Nigeria but they do not encounter crisis, just because they do not engage in open grazing.
He urged Nigerians to consider ranching as a viable option at this critical time.
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