Anti-open grazing law difficult to implement in Benue — Gov Alia

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has said that since the state’s prohibition of open grazing is a local law, it faces challenges in implementation.

He explained that the law would only be effectively enforced if it were adopted as a national law.

The governor spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo while responding to questions raised by a group known as the Benue Advocacy Network.

The group, in a statement made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Sunday through its president, Enoch Ortese, had requested the governor to address the concerns of the people regarding governance, transparency, and security, especially in light of the rising attacks by armed herders in rural communities despite the existence of the anti-open grazing law.

The group also lamented the continued increase in internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the state, contrary to the governor’s campaign promise to return the IDPs to their ancestral homes within the first 100 days in office.

The group, which alleged a huge monthly security vote under the present administration, also criticised the governor for failing to complete and commission any project in the past two years, as well as for not clearing outstanding salary arrears owed to state workers.

The Ortese-led group demanded, among other things, the publication of the state’s financial receipts and expenditure, accountability in financial management, and full disclosure of all contracts awarded by the government—including the cost of infrastructure projects—and an explanation for why local governments in the state had yet to enjoy autonomy.

However, the governor said the Fulani currently grazing in the state were being protected by armed herders wielding AK-47 and AK-49 rifles.

According to Tersoo, “The governor has been open with the people about the challenges in implementing the anti-open grazing law. This is because the enforcers—the State Civil Protection Guards—are not permitted to bear arms beyond licensed weapons.

“But the unfortunate reality is that these Fulani herdsmen are being protected by their militias, even while grazing, and these militias carry AK-47 and AK-49 rifles.

“You can verify the number of Mobile Police officers (mopol) who have been killed by these armed herders’ militias, despite their training to confront such threats. So, if the mopol cannot arrest these armed herders, is it the State Protection Guards, who don’t have access to sophisticated weapons, that will?”

Governor Alia noted that the implementation of the anti-open grazing law would only have real impact if it became a national law, allowing conventional security agencies to enforce it across state boundaries.

“Imagine a situation where the State Protection Guards try to enforce the anti-open grazing law, and the offenders run into neighbouring Nasarawa State, where such a law does not exist. What do you expect to happen?” Alia asked.

The governor also directed the group to access details regarding the state’s financial management and other relevant matters at the budget office. He added that his administration had cleared six out of seven months’ salary arrears owed by the immediate past administration.

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