Bayelsa Barns Open Grazzing
The Bayelsa State Government has enacted a law prohibiting open grazing of livestock in the state.
Governor Douye Diri assented to the Livestock Breeding, Rearing and Marketing Regulation Law 2021 on Wednesday at the Executive Chamber of Government House in Yenagoa.
He says the essence of the law is to ensure harmonious living between cattle dealers and other inhabitants of the state and to forestall the violent clashes other parts of the country are experiencing.
“Bayelsa State welcomes all and sundry to eke out a living legitimately. The people of Bayelsa want to have a mutual and harmonious relationship with non-natives and natives.
The law is to avert any clash between herdsmen, farmers, natives and non-natives as experienced in some states.”
“From the commencement of the law, no person shall breed, rear or trade in livestock in the state in any other place other than the designated space by the committee.”
The law, according to him, stipulates that any herdsman found with arms, whether licenced or not, should be arrested.
Establishing a committee
Governor Diri also stated that the law establishes a livestock management committee to regulate livestock activities in the state.
Members of the committee include the Commissioner for Agriculture, security agencies, youths and others.
The law prohibits the movement of cattle on foot from other parts of the country into the state, inspection of livestock and certification by veterinary doctors at entry points into the state among others.
Diri said by assenting to the law, any person found engaging in open grazing of livestock on foot commits an offence and would be arrested and prosecuted with the livestock impounded.
The governor also signed into law the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law 2021.
He explained that the law was to prevent certain harmful practices against women and children, noting that with its enactment, Bayelsa has domesticated the federal law, which had been in existence.
Speaker of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, Rt Hon Abraham Ingobere, while presenting the bills for the governor’s assent, said the livestock regulation bill was to prevent clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
Bayelsa Barns Open Grazzing
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