BEVERLY HILLS, March 20, (THEWILL) – Bayelsa State’s Governor Douye Diri has inaugurated a 23-man committee to implement the state’s anti-open grazing law christened “Livestock Breeding, Rearing and Marketing Regulation Law, 2021.”
He assented to the law on March 10 shortly after the 24-member House of Assembly passed the bill the same day.
The law stipulates among others that any herdsman found with arms, whether licensed or not should be arrested.
It also empowers the committee to register and issue permits for livestock breeding and designate areas for such breeding activities.
Diri, while inaugurating the committee in Yenagoa on Tuesday, stated that the law took effect from the day it was signed, but the power to execute it was vested in the committee chaired by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources.
He explained that the law was to prevent clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the state.
The Governor said, “Barely one week ago, I assented to the law. However, the implementation as prescribed by law is that we set up the Livestock Breeding, Rearing and Marketing Committee. It is vested with the responsibility for implementation of the law.
“We are aware of the level of insecurity in the country, particularly clashes between herdsmen and farmers. As a state, we are taking precautionary measures to ensure we live peacefully.”
He advised that people should not take laws into their hands whenever the anti-open grazing law was flouted, rather the committee should be contacted for full implementation of the law.
Chairman of the committee, David Alagoa, in his response, thanked the Governor and members of the state House of Assembly for being proactive in enacting the law to avert clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the state.
He assured that the committee would work to justify the confidence reposed in the members.
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