The Oyo House of Assembly, on Thursday, passed into law a bill banning open rearing, herding and grazing of livestock outside permitted ranches in Oyo state.
The Oyo State Open Rearing and Grazing Regulation law, 2019, states that anyone who engages in open rearing or grazing of livestock is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to imprisonment for five years or a fine of N500,000 or both.
Subsequent offenders shall upon conviction be liable to 10 years imprisonment or a fine of N2 million or both.
Presenting the Joint Committee report on the bill, Chairman, Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Peter Ojedokun, said the passage of the bill into law was supported by 98 per cent of stakeholders with the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria (GAFDAN) the only group not favourably disposed to the bill.
The law prohibits the movement of livestock on foot from one destination to another in the state, with all herdsmen mandated to submit themselves for registration and get an identification card, which must be worn at all times.
Furthermore, cattle movement is only permissible by rail wagon, truck or pick-up wagon, between 7 am and 6 pm, while any person found moving livestock on foot is liable on conviction to imprisonment for five years or a fine of N500,000 or both.
The law bans a minor from grazing, herding or grazing of livestock except under the supervision of an adult, while the minor or owner of cattle is liable on conviction to a fine of N300,000 or three years imprisonment or both.
By the law, cattle owners are restricted to grazing livestock in approved ranches where persons wishing to set up ranches are to obtain a permit from the state government for a period of three years, with renewal subject to the approval of the landowner.
However, the governor is empowered to revoke the permit, without compensation, to the herdsman for any breach of security.
Herdsmen are to submit themselves to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for registration and after paying a specified fee to be issued an identification card to be worn at all times.
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The law stipulates a N200,000 fine and two years imprisonment for herdsmen found guilty of nonregistration, while anyone without identification card is liable on conviction to imprisonment for one year or a fine of N100,000 or both.
Any herdsman who causes injury to any person is liable upon conviction to imprisonment for five years or a fine of N500,000 or both, and pay the medical bill of the injured person.
Also stipulated by the law is that whenever any livestock strays into any person’s land other than a ranch and causes destruction of crops, the herdsman is liable to pay compensation to the owner with valuation to be determined by the state Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
If the onslaught leads to death of any person, the herdsman, upon conviction, will be sentenced for manslaughter under the criminal code law.
Also prohibited, by the law, is the sale, transfer or mortgage of any land leased to herdsman for the purpose of ranching.
The Ministry of Agriculture will also be empowered to impound any livestock found grazing or wandering or herding in an area not permitted as a ranch, while impounded livestock not claimed within seven days will be sold on auction to the public and the proceeds paid into the state’s coffers.
To see to the implementation of the law, an Open Grazing Prohibition Task Force comprising representatives of the state government, security agencies, farmers’ association, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, vigilante and the judiciary is to be set up.
The bill was sponsored by Speaker of the Assembly, Honourable Debo Ogundoyin; his deputy, Honourable Abiodun Fadeyi; Majority Leader, Honourable Sanjo Adedoyin and Minority Leader, Honourable Asimiyu Alarape.
Also at Thursday’s plenary, the Oyo House of Assembly approved the request of Governor Seyi Makinde to provide N1,519,884,78.86 counterpart funding to access the 2019 Federal Government of Nigeria UBEC/SUBEB intervention fund.
Reading the letter from Makinde at plenary, Speaker of the Assembly, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin explained that counterpart fund will be sourced from the 2019 budget.
According to Ogundoyin, the fund when accessed will be used for the construction of classrooms, purchase of school furniture and other infrastructure.
The request got a loud approval of members, who noted that the intervention fund will help fix dilapidation in school infrastructure.
Chief Whip, Honourable Akeem Adedibu, however, urged the state government to ensure that the fund is spread to schools across zones of the state.
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