National Grazing Bill Still Active In National Assembly—Vanguard

CONTRARY to the claim of the Senate, the controversial National Grazing Bill is before the National Assembly, Vanguard checks have revealed. Currently, the bill is at the House of Representatives and was sponsored by a first term legislator elected in 2015.

The Senate, in a statement by its Committee on Rules and Business, Tuesday, said the bill that was sponsored by Senator Zainab Kure, who represented Niger Central in the Seventh Senate was not before it, that it was presented for consideration in the last Senate and was rejected.

The Senate denial was in response to the request of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who wanted to know if the Senate was treating any such bill.

However, Vanguard checks show that the bill is alive. In fact, there are two of them and the House of Representatives had initiated moves to consolidate both bills.

The two bills are a Bill for an Act to establish the National Grazing Route and Reserve Commission, to establish and control Grazing Routes and Reserves in all parts of Nigeria; and for Other Matters Related Thereto (HB, 388) sponsored by Karimi Steve Sunday, PDP, Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopamuro Federal Constituency, Kogi State;

A Bill for an Act to create a Department of Cattle Ranches under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture or any such Ministry Overseeing the Production and Rearing of Cattle; and for Other Matters Related Thereto (HB 323) sponsored by Dickson Tarkighir (Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency, Benue State.

According to a notice paper of the House of Representatives for the week March 14 to March 18, consolidation of both bills was scheduled for Tuesday, March 15.