Photograph — The Osasu Show

The Ekiti State House of Assembly (ESHA) seems to have responded perfectly to the Fulani herdsmen attack in Ekiti as they have successfully passed a bill to prohibit free grazing in the state. If the bill gets assented by Governor Ayodele Fayose, it then becomes law and that could mean hostility towards herdsmen who move their cattle indiscriminately within the state.

On Thursday the 25th of August 2016, members of the legislative arm of government in Ekiti State converged to decide on ways to prevent or reduce the possibility of another attack by rampaging herdsmen. This comes on the heels of a report submitted to the House by the Joint Committees on Agriculture and Environment by its Chairman, Ayodele Fajemilehin. The bill, tagged ‘Prohibition of Cattle and Other Ruminants Grazing in Ekiti, 2016,’ states that “no cattle or other ruminants shall by any means move at night; movement shall be between 7am and 6pm.”

The bill also reserves the right to designate grazing land in each of the 16 local government areas within the state, where cattle or ruminants may be permitted to graze. This means any person who takes their cattle to graze in undesignated areas have violated the provisions of the bill, and this comes with a prescribed penalty of six months imprisonment without an option of fine.

“The Governor shall, by an order, designate land in each of 16 Local Government Areas in the state in respect of which cattle or ruminants may be permitted to graze.”

“No person shall cause or permit any cow, oxen, sheep as well as goat under his or her control to graze on any land in which the Governor has not designated as ranches,” a part of the bill reads.

What impelled the bill was an attack by herdsmen on residents of the Oke-Ako community in Ekiti State. The incident, which occurred in May this year, left one person dead and four others injured. Following this, the governor encouraged the locals to take up arms in self-defence should the herdsmen try to attack again.

Governor Fayose is most likely going to assent the bill by the State’s Assembly, thereby making it a law in the state. If this happens, the enactment would contrast with the efforts of the Federal Government and the National Assembly to provide free grazing areas for herdsmen. Although the popular controversial grazing bill before the country’s Upper Chamber is yet to scale its final reading, the Federal Government has announced that some states from the north have donated areas for the project.

Ultimately, the decision of the Ekiti lawmakers may have gained momentum thanks to President Buharis’ failure in tackling the Fulani Herdsmen crisis. Whether or not the proposed ban on free grazing in Ekiti is seen as too hostile by people outside the state, it does not change the fact that the herdsmen stoked the embers of violence and the leadership of the state has the responsibility to keep its people safe. After all, it is said that necessity is the mother of invention. Moving forward, it will not be surprising to see other states take a similar step to protect its citizens.

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