The Senate of the National Assembly was on Wednesday thrown into a heated debate on a bill seeking to outlaw open grazing in Nigeria and replaced it with Ranches in states of origin of Pastoralists. Farmers/Herders Clash has become a lingering incident forcing many states in the Southern part of the country to create anti open grazing laws in their states. The dvision among Senators on the bill centred around infractions on relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, protocols of the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS ) as regards free movements of persons and their property from State to State and country to country.
The sponsor of the bill, Senator Zam Titus Tertenger (APC Benue North West) said now is the time to adopt international best practices in animal husbandry and bring about a law to stop open grazing adding that It is old fashioned, hazardous, burdensome and must be discarded. However, senators from Kebbi, Kano and Gombe State kicked against the bill and advised Tertenger to step it down. The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau (APC Kano North) advised Tertenger to step down the bill for limiting establishment of Ranches to states of origin of Pastoralists.
while Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA Abia South) , Garba Musa Maidoki ( PDP Kebbi South), Abba Moro ( PDP Benue South), supported the bill, others like Senators Adamu Aliero ( PDP Kebbi Central), Suleiman Kawu ( NNPP Kano South), Danjuma Goje (APC Gombe Central) kicked again.
