News Obiaks News

The Oyo state House of Assembly is currently working on an anti-grazing bill that would restrict the movement of herders and their cows across the state. However, the lawmakers said, on Monday October 21, that the bill, which has passed second reading, is not targeted at herdsmen in the state.
        According to reports, The bill is sponsored by the speaker of the Assembly Adebo Ogundoyin, his deputy, Abiodun Fadeyi, the majority leader, Sanjo Adedoyin and the minority leader Asimiyu Alarape.The bill is believed to be aimed at establishing peace in the state. Premium Times reports that Fadeyi noted that the proposed law is not a witch-hunt against Fulani herders in the state. The deputy speaker, who spoke at a town hall meeting organised in conjunction with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) for his constituents, said: “We have passed many bills since we came in the last four months. "When this administration came into government, we enacted some of the bills to establish some of the ministries. “And the one that is germane is the anti-grazing, open rearing bill and the anti-corruption bills." The lawmaker argued that the law will help with the state's internally generated revenue and encourage private ownership of ranches. The deputy speaker was said to have made the position known after the national chairman of Gan Allah Fulani development association, Sale Bayari, claimed the bill is targeted at poor herders. "It is impossible in our country for any peasant small scale herdsman to go into ranching," he had argued.