Oyo Assembly passes open grazing bill into law

The Oyo state House of Assembly Thursday passed the anti-open grazing bill into law few hours after herdsmen in the state vowed to drag the state court over the piece of legislation.

The House stated that the law will enhance peace and promote agricultural business and put an end to continuous damage and loss of lives and investment to constant clashes between herders and crop farmers.

Speaker of the state Assembly,  Adebo Ogundoyin, while commenting on the passage of the bill, urged  the people of the state to ignore falsehood and misconceptions on the law, which will trigger hostility between the herders and local farmers’ communities.

The speaker maintained that public hearing was held in which critical reviews and opinions of all concerned stakeholders, individuals, groups and experts were accommodated and considered before being passed into law.

“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”, he said

According to him, “both herders and crop farmers are farmers, and because laws are made to correct, definitely we do not expect it to favour anyone 100 per cent. I implore them to embrace developmental changes this law is bringing into the agricultural business after it enactment.”

“Let us consider partnership, cluster farming, cooperative ranches and other helpful methods that are working in successful neighbouring country. If we truly desire development and growth in our agriculture, then we have to get ready and adopt new strategies to boost our produces and reduce lost of resources and lives.”  

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