From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Women of Otuasega in Ogbia Local Government Area, yesterday, protested the continued destruction of their farmlands by herdsmen.
The women blocked the Imiringi road connecting Ogbia and Nembe local government areas to draw the attention to Governor Douye Diri who was billed to travel on the road on his way to commissioning the Elebele Bridge in Ogia Local Government Area and Nembe Unity Bridge in Nembe Local Government.
The women carried placards with inscriptions such as “Government restrain herdsmen and their cows to specific location,” “We are not on the farmlands anymore,” “Government come to our rescue.”
They said farming has become difficult of them as they live in fear of possible attacks should they resist the herdsmen from encroaching on their farmlands.
The women appealed to the state government to intervene and save them from persistent attacks by herdsmen.
The state government had enacted the Livestock Breeding, Rearing and Marketing Regulation Law 2021 signed into law by Governor Diri on March 9 2021. The law prohibits the movement of cattle on foot from other parts of the country into any part of the state.
Though the law has been observed in Yenagoa, the state capital, the same cannot be said of other parts of the state with complaints lodged with the Implementation Committee headed by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr David Alagoa to ensure the enforcement of the law everywhere.
Diri recently ordered the arrest of some herdsmen and their cows when he spotted them at Elebele during a tour of projects in the state.
During yesterday’s protest by the women, traffic was disrupted as most motorists plying the road had to look for alternative routes.
Commissioner for Women, Children Affairs, Empowerment and Social Development, Mrs Faith Opene, later waded into the matter and appealed to the women to vacate the road.
She was said to have assured them that their complaints would be tabled before the governor for his intervention.