Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Thursday declared that there was no going back on the ban on open grazing in the entire Southern Nigeria.
The governor spoke as he lampooned the
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami
over comments on the resolution of the Southern Governors Forum to ban open
grazing in their respective States.
Malami was quoted to have said that the ban on open grazing was akin to banning
all spare parts dealers in the Northern parts of the country and therefore
unconstitutional.
Governor Akeredolu in a statement he personally signed and issued in Akure said
it was ‘most unfortunate that the AGF is unable to distill issues as expected
of a Senior Advocate.’
The Ondo Governor noted that Malami’s outburst should not have elicited a
response from reasonable people who knew the distinction between a legitimate
business that is not in any way injurious and a certain predilection for
anarchy.
He said, “Clinging to an anachronistic model of animal husbandry, which is
evidently injurious to the harmonious relationship between the herders and the
farmers as well as the local populace, is wicked and arrogant.
“Comparing this anachronism, which has
led to the loss of lives, farmlands and property, and engendered untold
hardship on the host communities, with buying and selling of auto parts is not
only strange. It, annoyingly, betrays a terrible mindset.
“Mr. Malami is advised to approach the court to challenge the legality of the
Laws of the respective States banning open grazing and decision of the Southern
Governor Forum taken in the interest of their people. We shall be most willing
to meet him in Court.