Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has sent a bill seeking to ban open grazing of cattle in the state to the State House of Assembly for enactment.
The executive bill was read by the speaker of the House, Ikunyi Ibani during plenary, on Monday.
According to the letter sent to the House, the bill is christened Prohibition of Open Grazing of Livestock and Ranching Administration bill 2021.
He said it’s in compliance with the “unanimous prohibition of open rearing of grazing of livestock in southern states of Nigeria by the Southern Governors forum and the resultant needs for the enactment of relevant laws to back up the prohibition on or before the 1st of September 2021”.
The Governor believes the bill when passed into law will end the persistent farmer-herder clashes in the state.
He also appealed to the lawmakers to give the bill accelerated consideration due to its public importance.
The Governor also sent the Rivers State Child Right law for alteration by the House.
A bill seeking to provide legal backing to the renaming of “iconic” monuments in the State was also sent to the House for consideration.
