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From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
Enugu State House of Assembly, yesterday, became the third state in the South East geo-political zone to pass into law the anti-open grazing bill.
The bill, which is for a Law to Prohibit Open Grazing, Regulate Cattle Ranching and for Connected Purposes, was passed at the House sitting following the consideration of the report of the public hearing, presented by the Chairman, Joint Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Judiciary, Public Petitions, Ethics and Privileges, Youth, Sports and Security Matters, Amaka Ugwueze.
To be cited as Enugu State Prohibition of Open Grazing, Regulate Cattle Ranching and Connected Purposes (HB.7), 2021, the law, according to the House, would ensure security and peace in the state.
The joint committee had on Tuesday held a public hearing on the bill where residents of the state represented by the traditional rulers, town union leaders, leaders of various groups, bodies and institutions gave the House the support to go ahead with passage of the bill.
Though, the state missed the September 1 deadline given by the southern governors for all the states in the region to enact the law, Daily Sun gathered the House was being careful to ensure it reached all stakeholders as Enugu State has suffered much due to the effects of open grazing.
Before the passage of the bill, the House had received and accepted the report from Hon. Ugwueze who said that “all the oral and written submissions received by the committee were in support of immediate passage of the bill,” and dissolved into Committee of the whole House to consider the report alongside the bill, culminating in its third reading and passage.
Speaking after the passage of the bill, which is 16-page document with 36 sections, Speaker Edward Ubosi, emphasised that the bill was not targeted at anybody or group but for the good of the people of the state and others that live in it.
Ubosi thanked the sponsors of the bill, noting that the people of the state have been clamouring for the law for a long time and expressed optimism that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi would not waste time in accenting to the law.
The speaker thanked the Joint Committee Chairman, Ugwueze, the co-chairmen, Emma Ugwuerua and Okwu Chinedu and their members for their expertise and the speed with which they handled their assignment.
At the time of writing the story, the governor was in a meeting with members of the state assembly at the Government House and there were expectations that he would accent to the law immediately.
