From Isaac Kertyo, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has declared that the present administration will not Repeal the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law despite threats and intimidations from herders.
The Governor who made the declaration through the Deputy Governor, Engr Benson Abounu while briefing Newsmen at the Government House Makurdi on Wednesday reiterated that Benue has no plans to revise the aforementioned law.
Continuing, Ortom hinted that there is heavy deployment of Herders with their cattles into the state, a situation he described as worrisome. He lamented that the Herders were heavily armed.
According to the Governor, the anti open grazing law has come to stay, stating that “Benue has its laws and we have been keeping to these laws. He described the law as effective.
The Governor contended that six herdsmen have been arrested and handed over to security agents for prosecution, while four hundred cattles have been impounded by the Benue State Livestock Guards for breaching the law.
He urged herders to adopt the global best way of rearing livestock, which is Ranching if they must operate in the state. ” If you want to rear your cattles in Benue, you must abide by the law. What we are against is open grazing”, Ortom emphasized.
The Governor drew the attention of the general public to the recent statement credited to the Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Sule, that Herders were re-grouping in the state, which attracted reactions from different quarters, including the Presidency.
