Fulani herdsmen threaten legal action against Oyo Assembly over anti-open grazing bill


The public outcry that characterised the anti-open grazing bill at the Oyo State House of Assembly took another dimension Wednesday when Fulani herdsmen in the state vowed to drag the state lawmakers to court over the proposed law.

At a meeting in Igangan, an agrarian community in Ibarapa North Local Government Area, that lasted several hours and with hundreds of the herdsmen from across the state in attendance, they resolved to use legal options to fight the bill.

The bill entitled, ‘Open Rearing and Grazing Regulation Bill 2019’, which has passed through second reading at the House of Assembly was jointly sponsored by the Speaker of the Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, the deputy Speaker, Abiodun Fadeyi, Majority Leader, Sanjo Adedoyin, and the minority Leader, Asimiyu Alarape.

The bill, when it becomes law, would prohibit open grazing in the state.

The House had two weeks ago, organized a public hearing for stakeholders to bare their minds and make suggestions to the proposed bill.


During the public hearing, farmers and some Fulani’s in the state disagreed over the proposed anti-grazing bill.


While the farmers’ ambassador, Azeez Maboreje, in his address, lauded the lawmakers for taking the bull by the horn for considering the bill; the national chairman of Gan Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria, Sale Bayari, in an 18-page position paper, said the bill if passed into law would punish poor herders, saying, “it is impossible in our country for any peasant small scale herdsman to go into ranching.”

However, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Abiodun Fadeyi, while speaking at a town hall meeting on Monday in Ibadan, had insisted that the proposed law is not in any way to punish or witchhunt Fulani herdsmen in the state.

Mr Fadeyi who spoke at the town hall meeting organized in conjunction with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), for the people of Ona-Ara State constituency where he represents, noted that the open rearing and grazing regulation bill 2019 is not in any way targeted at any group or set of people.

“We have passed many bills since we came in the last four months. Numerous bills. When this administration came into government, we enacted some of the bills to establish some of the ministries,” he said.

And the one that is germane is the anti-grazing, open rearing bill and the anti-corruption bills. The anti-open grazing bill is not only a discourse in the state alone, it is throughout the country. It is the bill that will help us in terms of generating revenue for the state.

“We are talking about the anti-open grazing bill now that will help us in terms of the internally generated revenue (IGR), that will encourage private ownership of ranches and what a few and to control or to curtail the movement of the herders from one place to the other indiscriminately. So these are some of the things the bill will be able to do and not to witchhunt the herders or anyone.”

But, the Fulani herdsmen at their meeting presided over by the Sarkin Fulani of Oyo State, Saliu Abdul-Kadir, described the bill as “too draconian” and targeted at crippling Fulani herdsmen from practising their age-long cattle rearing activities across the state.

“We will go to court. We will seek legal redress if Oyo State Government insists on imposing this bill on us,” Mr Abdul-Kadir said.

Reeling out the communique of the meeting to journalists, the Oyo State Secretary of Gan Allah Fulani Development Association, Garba Umar, said the Fulani herdsmen had resorted to rejecting the bill in its totality because they perceived it as one that would cause a serious setback to their means of livelihood.

“The implementation of the bill as it is will cause commotion,” he said.

“It is simply this issue that threw up IDP Camps in Benue. And we don’t want all this to happen here in Oyo State where we have been living peacefully with our fellow farmers for ages.

“However, if we are pushed to the wall, we know the next level. Our next level is to seek the legal option. We will go to the court of law over the matter.

“But for now, we are begging Oyo State Government to see us as Nigerians and partners in progress who, for ages immemorial, have added values to the economy of the State.

“It is also a matter of fact that we Fulani dominate large percentage of voters in Oyo State. Government only recognize us during electioneering and voting periods. Government is not giving us any facility or loan to boost our cattle rearing business while the farmers, on the other hand, get agric loans, fertilizers, etc. Is this the only way Government is now repaying us for our patriotism?

“We are equally opposed to ranching which is capital intensive. Why not ask the farmers also to fence their farm holdings? How much are we going to be spending per caged cow per annum in form of feeding, etc.? We do not agree.

“Government should rather checkmate the inflow of foreign Fulanis who have been responsible for the security challenges in the land.”

Matthew Opeoluwa, Special Assistant, New Media to the Speaker in a message to Premium Times reacting to the court threat, said the House would soon release its position on the herdsmen’s decision.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/359286-fulani-herdsmen-threaten-legal-action-against-oyo-assembly-over-anti-open-grazing-bill.html?fbclid=IwAR0gny5g5OA8OSGM2AcwhsD5hFzG63L2pqLVlZJqwjKcNddgWQ1FZCxvv9s

No no not fair..

Why stopping their herds from grazing?
why introducing anti-grazing law?


That state belongs to all of you people like Nigeria.

There should be understanding and parley.

Buhari a fulani is president, Osibanjo a Yoruba man vice president and it has been benefiting you both.

Please they should be allowed to graze freely on lands.

Its been a while....where dem dey since?

Oyo people have been suffering their own Herdsmen attacks since the days of the late Governor Lam Adesina.

One of the reasons Seyi Makinde was elected was because he promised to find a solution to the problem while Ajimobi was busy kissing Bubu's stinking nyash.

So if they like let them waste their money on legal fees for a case they will never win.

I like what am seeing now.

PDP Govnors are the Bombs we need to treat Fulani madness across the South.

Edo State......! U are next.

These lawsuits are a waste of time. It didnt work in Benue and wont work in Oyo. It's precedent at this point.

“We are equally opposed to ranching which is capital intensive. Why not ask the farmers also to fence their farm holdings? How much are we going to be spending per caged cow per annum in form of feeding, etc.?

Lol we finally see an honest person among them. They only oppose ranching because they dont want to change business model. I agree farmers should put up cheap barbwire fences to keep these guys out.

Let them go ahead...

The laws of the land should be respected.

Hnmmmm
So these guys even know anything about the law of the Land?
Nigeria is finished

Anyway, l will Build a Professional Logo for your Product or Company For 2k Only. Offer valid today only. See my info below to Chat me up.

LET THEM COME!

MelesZenawi:
No no not fair..

Why stopping their herds from grazing?
why introducing anti-grazing law?


That state belongs to all of you people like Nigeria.

There should be understanding and parley.

Buhari a fulani is president, Osibanjo a Yoruba man vice president and it has been benefiting you both.

Please they should be allowed to graze freely on lands.

attention seeker

They should migrate to their state nau


He who hold the pipe should dictate the tune, not the other way round.


It is Oyo State land, at least, they should decide how or what is done on it!

I'd they do not agree, they should migrate back to their base nau

Nah by force?

Cattle rearing is a private business.. can the yorubas hawk star lager beer in kaduna or kano?

Buy a land for ur private business.. politics aside why should the government allow the herdsmen litter the environment with cow dungs.. do we understand the environmental hazards? What if they spread mad cow disease or anthrax?

Hmmm

when your trying to defend buhari

Can you imagine the guts... Nothing wey musa no go see for gate ooo.

Dosu Joseph, our former gold medalist goal keeper's career ended untimely and was condemned to a wheelchair due to these fulani cows on the highway.

These fulani herdsmen are responsible for several accidents on the highway and no one has ever prosecuted them for causing so many deaths and even destroying farmlands and other properties, now they have the guts to challenge Oyo government

Which is Why a national id is important.How do we diff a native fulani from a foreign fulani?

MelesZenawi:
No no not fair..

Why stopping their herds from grazing?
why introducing anti-grazing law?


That state belongs to all of you people like Nigeria.

There should be understanding and parley.

Buhari a fulani is president, Osibanjo a Yoruba man vice president and it has been benefiting you both.

Please they should be allowed to graze freely on lands.

You don’t know what these cows and Fulani men have done to people in villages over the country..

Trust his own people to stand behind the Fulanis against their own brother...they can even mine ya head or their own brother's head just to please their Fulani masters

lzaa immhotep,grab your popcorn,the barabaMzlms are cummn

oya now

It seems Oyo state is in good hands, kudos to Gov Makinde

that basterd suyaseller is coming to defend the cows.

Fulani's, the real owners of.....

When fulani herdsmen from mali and niger republic cross the border unhindered and threaten to sue a state government to court then you know you have a discombobulatedly, distorted and retardedd dotard as president.

Blue3k:
These lawsuits are a waste of time. It didnt work in Benue and wont work in Oyo. It's precedent at this point.



Lol we finally see an honest person among them. They only oppose ranching because they dont want to change business model. I agree farmers should put up cheao barbwire fences to keep these guys out.

At whose cost?

What does these lawbreakers know about the law?

Nonsense

U have sharia
Ban alcohol now you want to tell people what law they can pass ?

when the master commands,, the servant respects