Herdsmen’s rejection of grazing bill in Oyo

PERHAPS taking a cue from its counterparts in Benue and Ekiti states, the Oyo State House of Assembly has commenced legislative consideration of a proposed bill that will prohibit open grazing in the state. To dispassionate observers, the motivation for such a bill does not require any rigorous justification judging by the spate of mindless bloodletting and damage to economic activities in many  areas of the country other than the core North where unrestrained cattle grazing is permitted or foisted on the citizenry.  Like in other states where the anti-open grazing law was enacted, herdsmen in Oyo State have rejected the bill which is yet in the works. They appealed to the people of the state to shoot down the bill whose enforcement they claimed would be a recipe for crisis. They also contended that the proposed bill was a ploy to mete out punishment to small scale herdsmen and ease them out of business.

But  in an apparent acknowledgment of the fact that the status quo is flawed and has been abused by some of their members, the herdsmen vowed to be of good behaviour and fish out criminal elements in their midst. They claimed that they could not go into ranching because of the relatively huge capital outlay involved, even though Oyo State has enough land for ranching. The rejection of the proposed law by the herders portends difficulty for the enforcement of the inchoate bill when it becomes law. The same scenario played out in Benue State where a duly enacted law by the state House of Assembly was rejected and indeed defied by the herdsmen, culminating in massive loss of lives and properties when the state government rightly insisted on implementing its laws. In the case of Ekiti, it took the government’s unyielding stand to cause them to bow. It should be noted, however, that human and material losses to clashes associated with the grazing law have now abated significantly both in terms of the frequency and scope in Benue State. We stress this point now to underscore the need for Oyo State to be firm and resolute in tackling the challenges that lie ahead if and when the bill becomes law.

Ultimately, it is in the interest of all concerned that the herdsmen abide by the law when it comes into effect. The way to go is ranching. Ranching, in addition to reining in the spate of deadly disputes, promises to improve the productivity of the herders and the health of their animals. In many countries of the world such as Brazil, Cuba, Norway and The Netherlands that are reputed for high production of beef and milk, it is unheard of that herdsmen graze on anybody’s farm.  For instance, Holland is a relatively small country in terms of its landmass but it is the home of milk in the world. This is a testament to the fact that more can be achieved with little resources if they are diligently and scientifically deployed. This is why Mr. Sale Barayi’s other strands of argument against ranching which he predicated on sentiments and primordial attachments are untenable and worrying.  Barayi, who represented the Gan Fulani Development Association of Nigeria at the public presentation of views and observation on the Grazing Regulations Bill 2019, had among others posited that “the sponsors of the bill did not probe into the detailed history of the herdsman and his cattle rearing culture, tradition and hereditary attachment to his means of livelihood, rather than the business angle to it.” This is the core of the matter.

The insistence by the herders on sticking to a retrogressive culture and tradition, intricately interweaving it with business, makes it clear that they are not swayed by the untold agonies suffered by innocent farmers.  A great deal of reorientation and education will be needed to sway the herders who are largely Fulani to embrace modernity in their business of animal husbandry and divorce purely economic activity from tradition and culture. Perhaps it has to be stressed that while Fulani cultural and traditional values as they relate to cattle rearing would be respected by citizens in the core North because of their cultural affinity, the same should not be expected in other parts of the country. And the situation is not helped by the sad reality that this cultural practice of open grazing has proven to be inimical to inter-ethnic/religious harmony as exemplified by the confusion and crises which it has engendered in different parts of the country.

Each time a state proposes a grazing law, it evokes the feeling in the herders and their sympathisers that the sponsors are intolerant and insensitive. But it is only the force of law that can resolve a problem whose roots are located outside the precincts of rationality and reason.  For instance, if the only reason for the aversion to ranching is cost, official intervention may be canvassed for subsidy over a period of time. Yes, cattle rearing, like any other business, is purely a private sector affair and should be driven and funded by the actors in that sector, but it will not be out of place to help the herders embrace ranching in order to rein in the perilous consequences of unrestricted grazing to national security and social harmony. The Oyo State government should stick to its guns. It has done the right and commendable thing. Nigeria is a federation in which each of the sub-national governments is at liberty to legislate for good governance and to address peculiar challenges in its territory so long as such legislations do not violate any of the provisions in the grundnorm.