From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), in Benue State has hailed the decision by Governor Hyacinth Alia to retain and embrace the stand on the ban on open grazing of livestock in the state.
The party made the commendation in a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, and made available to newsmen in Makurdi.
Governor Alia had at his first State Security Council meeting held at Government House, Makurdi, on June 22nd, 2023, warned animal rearers to stop open grazing in the state, citing the subsistence of the law prohibiting it and calling all to respect the law.
The Prohibition of Open Grazing and Ranches Establishment Law (2017) was enacted and put to force in the state by the administration of Samuel Ortom and served as a substantial bulwark against the influx of herdsmen and their cattle into the state who grazed openly and in the process perpetrated killings of farmers.
PDP recalls “that while campaigning, however, Governor Alia had openly criticized the law as being the problem rather than the solution to the intractable issue of herdsmen atrocities in the state, promising to review it and in some instances insinuating its outright ban if voted into office as governor.
“Following closely on the heels of such utterances of Governor Alia, there ensued a large influx of herdsmen and their cattle into the state shortly after the last elections resulting in renewed killings of farmers and destruction of properties including farms.
“Today we welcome the governor’s stand and urge him to back his words regarding his new stand with action by getting those herdsmen willing to embrace ranching to take to the practice immediately, while those unwilling to do so should leave the state.”
The PDP cautioned Governor Alia against paying mere lip service to the atrocities of armed herdsmen in the state, “as addressing it decisively remains the sine qua non to a successful return of displaced persons to their ancestral lands, which he may wish to recall was one of his numerous campaign promises.”