October 12, (THEWILL) – Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki on Monday said he would not be coerced into signing the proposed anti-open grazing law without wide consultations.
The governor said he will only sign a law that would seperate bandits from genuine herders without sentiments or hate, adding that he would not want to rely on needless arguments by some individuals who according to him are intolerant of herders.
The governor said this at a town hall meeting on the anti-open grazing bill
Urging the people to separate killer herdsmen from the genuine ones, the governor said, “I don’t want to put up a law that may be difficult to implement”.
He, however, gave assurances that a draft copy of the proposed Edo anti-grazing bill would be sent to the State House of Assembly for legislative consideration before the end of October 2021.
On his part, the chairman of the Cattle Breeders Association in the State, Alhaji Mohammed Fosal, exonerated indigenous Funali ethnic group in the state from any criminal activities.
Fosal, who spoke through an interpreter, alleged that Fulanis from Kogi and Abuja are responsible for crimes in the state.
Also, the Chief Imam of Benin Central Mosque, Alhaji Abdulfatai Enabulele and the State Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Oriname Oyonnude-Kure advocated for the registration of nomadic herdsmen and cattle breeders.
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