Miyetti Allah begs Southern Governors for an alternative to open grazing
The South-East Chairman of Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Gidado Siddiki has said the ban on open grazing by the Governors of Southern Nigeria would remain ineffective until an alternative to open grazing is provided for the herders.
He said this in response to the call by former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, on all the states Houses of Assembly in southeast Nigeria to enact anti-grazing law in their respective states.
Siddiki said Miyetti Allah is not opposed to the ban on opening grazing but the southern governors are yet to provide ranching as an alternative for herders in conducting their business.
He said: “Our position is that we are not opposed to the ban on open grazing, but at least we need an alternative.
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“You know when somebody is doing business and you stop him from doing that business, he would be given an alternative on what to do.
“When you say that you have banned open grazing, you need to tell us how we should graze our cows because what we know is grazing. If there is an alternative, there is no problem, and that is the only thing we are begging for.”
The South-East Chairman of Miyetti-Allah said they were not allowed to make submissions on the public hearing on constitution review.
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“We were not given the chance to go for the Constitution review public hearing, we went there but nobody gave us an audience to talk. We did not submit a petition,”
He urged the governors to call on all parties in making laws in respect to open grazing, adding that there is no provision for ranching in most states which poses a problem to herders.
“If open grazing is bringing problems, let us find ways we can coexist.
“If there is provision for ranching, we can do ranching but I do not think there is provision for ranching in states. Even Benue State that banned open grazing, I don’t think there has been any ranching in Benue State in all these years.
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“So, I don’t know if there is provision and that is our own problem,” the Miyettl Allah leader said.