Open grazing law: Benue sets up sensitisation committee

The Benue State government has constituted a committee to sensitise herders and farmers on the open grazing prohibition law billed for implementation in November this year.

Governor Samuel Ortom named his Special Adviser on Security and Special Assistant on herders matters as part of the composition of the committee which also included the security agencies, traditional rulers as well as selected herders and farmers as members.

Ortom, who made the announcement on Monday during a town hall meeting with all stakeholders in Makurdi, urged the committee to sensitise and identify cattle rustlers while stressing the need for local herders in the state to help fish out aliens that come to cause trouble among them.

He assured that the committee would be funded.

Also speaking, the Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse, represented by the Tor Kwande, Chief Ambrose Iortyer, noted that the open grazing prohibition and ranches establishment law in the state has come to stay and urged herders to come to terms with it so as to live in peace and harmony with their host communities.

On his part, the state coordinator of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Galus Gololo, acknowledged the governor’s effort towards ending farmers and herders crisis, and denied involvement in the suit filed by Kautal Hore against the state government for enacting the anti-grazing law.