Enugu State House of Assembly Thursday joined other state assemblies in the South East to pass into law the anti-open grazing bill.
The bill which is for a Law to Prohibit Open Grazing, Regulate Cattle Ranching and for Connected Purposes was passed at the House sitting following the consideration of the report of the public hearing, presented by the Chairman, Joint Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Judiciary, Public Petitions, Ethics and Privileges, Youth, Sports and Security Matters, Hon. Amaka Ugwueze.
The House stated that the law to be cited as “Enugu State Prohibition of Open Grazing, Regulate Cattle Ranching and Connected Purposes (HB.7), 2021,” would ensure security and peace in the state.
The joint committee had Tuesday held a public hearing on the bill where residents of the state represented by the traditional rulers, town union leaders, leaders of various groups, bodies and institutions gave the House the support to go ahead with the passage of the bill.
Before the passage of the bill, the House had received and accepted the report from Hon. Ugwueze who said that “all the oral and written submissions received by the committee were in support of immediate passage of the bill,” and dissolved into Committee of the whole House to consider the report alongside the bill, culminating in its third reading and passage.
Speaking after the passage of the bill which is a 16-page document with 36 sections, the Speaker, Hon. Edward Ubosi, emphasised that the bill was not targeted at anybody or group but for the good of the people of the state and others that live in it.
