Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has said that only state governments in Nigeria can allocate land for cattle colonies as stipulated in the Land Use act of 1977.

Ekweremadu called on states to come up with legislation that will ban Open grazing in the country. Speaking at the House of Commons in the UK on a topic titled; ‘African politics: The Dynamics and Lessons’, He said;

“Importantly, I believe that ranching is the way to go rather than open grazing. However, it is for the Federal Government to provide the policy direction while the states take up the challenge because the issue of cattle rearing is a state matter as all lands are vested in respective states under the Land Use Act in Nigeria.

It is not for the states to set up ranches since it is private business. The states should, instead, come up with agricultural credit schemes that will encourage and support farmers to set up their ranches,”.

Ekweramdu described the Open Grazing policy as ‘archaic, anachronistic and out of tune with Modern Society’.He urged the Nigerian government to use Ranching instead.

He also called for the Decentralisation of Policing in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, stating that it’s the only way the continent can deal with Insecurity.

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